
Class .^^'l 

Book Wi sBs 



The Wallum Pond Estates 



By 

Harry Lee Barnes 



Reprinted from the 

Rhode Island Historical Society Collections 

WITH Additions and Illustrations 

1922 



»/5 



1> ^ •:• \ \^\ 



Dedication 

To the patients of the State Sanatorium, past, present and 
future, in the hope that the perusal of its contents and the view- 
ing of its scenes may while away otherwise monotonous hours, 
this little volume is respectfully dedicated by the author. 



Preface 

It has been my aim to trace the chief events which have 
occurred on the lands about Wallum Pond from the time when 
records are first available down to the purchase of the site for 
the Sanatorium in 1902. Many materials for this work were 
collected in 1906 and 1907 and embodied in an address before 
the Rhode Island Citizens' Historical Association at their visit 
to the Sanatorium in the spring of 1908. It was desirable to 
rewrite the address in order to incorporate much new material 
which steadily accumulated but this was put off from year to 
year because of lack of time, etc.. until 14 years had slipped 
away. Most of the statements for which authorities are not 
cited are based on copies of deeds, mortgages, agreements and 
leases found in the records of Burrillville. Glocester, Provi- 
dence, Boston, and Worcester Count}-, and can be verified by 
the names and dates given. In nearly all cases, it has been indi- 
cated in the text what statements are founded on tradition as 
distinguished from those founded on documents. Indebtedness 
for much helpful information concerning events of the last 70 
years is acknowledged to Mrs. Nancy Buxton Anderson, ^Ivs. 
Ellen Wakefield, Mrs. George Sly, ^Nliss Anna Hoyle, ]^Iiss 
Ruth Slater, and to IMessrs. Sylvester Angell, Seth Darling, 
since deceased, Seth Ross, William R. Angell, Wm. Green, 
Thos. Green, since deceased, James Riley, Barton Jacobs, 
Edwin Esten and Ira Wakefield. In the study of the old 
Providence records, many courtesies were shown me by Wel- 
come Arnold Greene, since deceased. ]\Iy wife, Lena Meek 
Barnes, has rendered much help in running back the old deeds, 
especially on Wallum Pond Hill. Before writing the history of 
a New England hamlet, it would be ideal to abstract all recorded 
deeds from the original grants to the present day and the writer 



PREFACE 

has been able to do this for a good part of the land in this vicin- 
ity. The tracing of so many places back to common land has 
yielded much more material than has been used, as even in a 
study so local and intensive, one must omit much to keep within 
bounds. The reader who finds the detailed account of the old 
houses and their former owners irksome should appreciate that 

1 have purposely sacrificed something from the standpoint of 
readability in order more nearly to approach the ideal of com- 
pleteness. I cannot hope to have avoided all mistakes or to have 
exhausted the subject, and doubtless, interesting events have 
been missed which more time and devotion to research would 
have obtained. 




The Wallum Pond Estates 
By Harry Lee Barnes 

Location and Surroundings. 

Wallum Pond\ which is crossed near its southern end by the 
42nd parallel, lies about 1^^ miles east of the Connecticut line, 
partly in Douglas, Mass.. and partly in Burrillville, Rhode 
Island. It is situated in the southern part of what in early 
Colonial times was called the Nipmuck country. The Nipmuck 
lands extended from Central Massachusetts northward past the 
Watchusett Hills, to al)out the southern line of New Hamp- 
shire; northeastward to the Pawtuckets on the lower Merrimac : 
eastward to the Massachusetts Indians by the Bay, and to the 
Wampanoags east of the Blackstone ; southward to the northern 
Rhode Island bands tributary to the Narragansetts. and to the 
Mohegans of east central Connecticut; and westward to the 
Indians of the Connecticut vallev. 



1 For information concerning Walhim Pond on the early maps, see 
appendix. 



8 VVALLUM OR ALLUM ? 

A small stream rises in southern Douglas, easterly of Wallum 
Pond and flows southerly across the Rhode Island line into the 
Pascoag River. Its sources were favorite Indian camping sites 
and it has been called Nipmuck Brook from early times. Ten 
miles southeasterly of Wallum Pond is Nipsachuck\ a place 
through which King Philip passed in his flight westward to the 
Nipmuck country. Three miles northwesterly of Wallum Pond, 
in Webster, Mass., lies a lake called Chaubunagungamaug. a 
word which is said to have meant. "The Boundary Fishing 
Place." Six miles westerly was the village of Ouantisset. once 
plundered b}' the Narragansetts to revenge an insult to their 
Sachem. Twelve miles to the westward beyond the Quinebaug 
River in Woodstock was Wabbaquasset'-. "The Mat producing 
Country," so called from some marsh or meadow which fur- 
nished reeds for mats and baskets. Twelve miles to the south- 
west in central Killingly was Wahmunsqueeg. "The Spot 
resorted to for Whetstones." The land about Plainfield, Conn., 
south of Wabbaquasset and Wamunsqueeg was the Quinebaug 
country. 

IVaUuiii or Allitin^ 

People of the present day who recall events before 1850 
pretty generally agree that in their youth, the name "Allum 
Pond," was more frequently used by the old people. It is 
worthy of note that "Alum" is the name given two ponds about 
twenty miles to the westward in Massachusetts. As early as 
1710, the Rhode Island deeds referred to this pond as Allum or 
AUom Pond and the Report of the Rhode Island-Alassachusetts 
Boundary Commission which surveyed the line in 1719 men- 
tioned Allum Pond. The first map to show the pond spelled 
with a "W" was the Douglas map of 1753. It must be conceded 
that Dr. Douglas had excellent opportunities to get information 
as he frequented this vicinity. He had a great interest in history 
and it is not impossilile that he was informed by local Indians 
that Walamp was more nearly like the Indian pronunciation 



1 Hubbard, Drake's Edition. Vol. 1, page 90. 
- Larncd'.s Historv of Windham County. 



THE WALLU-M POND ESTATES 9 

than Allum. The spelHng \\'alamp on the Douglas map was 
followed for decades in deeds of land about the Massachusetts 
end of the pond by owners, many of whom knew Dr. Douglas 
and some of whom ma\- haxe seen his map. The name W'alamp 
did not endure proljably because it could not be established 
against local tradition without the schools, which did not flour- 
ish in this vicinity until after Caleb Harris had published his 
map in 1795 showing "Allum Pond." It is certain that the ear- 
liest Massachusetts settlers also used the word "Allum." for in 
Dr. Douglas' own deed from the Province of Massacluisetts, 
we find that his land extended "southerly on the Province or 
Colony line which runs through a great Pond called Allum 
Pond." There are also facts which cast grave doubt on the 
accuracy of the spelling on the Douglas map. On this map, 
Badluck Pond, 2 miles northerly of Wallum Pond, is spelled 
Budluck Pond ; Nipmuck River is spelled Nutmeg River, and 
Hemlock Brook is spelled Hembeck Brook. These stupid mis- 
takes could hardly have been made by Dr. Douglas. The map 
was published in England after his death and these errors were 
almost certainly due to the illegibility of the manuscripts or to 
carelessness of the printers^. There is strong probability that 
the illegible handwriting or carelessness which converted Bad- 
luck into Budluck, Nipmuck into Nutmeg and Hemlock into 
Hembeck also corrupted Allum into \\"alamp. Although the 
name Walamp did not endure, there is evidence that it was. 
perhaps, inadvertently changed into Wallimi. For instance, in 
1802, when Jonah Brown bought land of John Hunt, the first 
bound is located "By the east side of \A"allomp Pond so called," 
a name obviously derived from the Douglas spelling, as it con- 
tained both the initial ff and the terminal p. When Jonah 
Brown sold this land in 1811, A\^allomp was changed to \\'alhun 
in describing the same bound. On April 25th. 1812. the Burrill- 
ville Town Council records refer to Wallum Pond. WHiether 
the name \\'allum crei:)t from the Massachusetts deeds into com- 



1 A committee of the General Court of Massachusetts found Dr. 
Douglas' map very erroneous and recommended against its publication, 
Province laws 1753-4, Chapter 133. 



10 THE MEANING OF ALLUM 

mon speech and on to the map makers or whether the latter 
were advised by some student of the Indian language that Wal- 
lum was preferable to Allum, or whether some of the map 
makers were influenced by seeing the Douglas map, is unknown, 
Init at all events, after 1855, Wallum established its place on 
maps by \\'alling and others and was taught to the children of 
the Wallum Pond School after 1860. The name Wallum gained 
ground slowly in common speech among the natives during the 
latter part of the 19th century until by 1905 Allum was used 
only by people past middle life. 

In that it has been handed down from the old settlers and is 
found in the oldest and most relial)le documents, Allum (Allam 
or Allom) is preferable to Wallum. Allum is almost certainly 
the word which was received from the Nipmucks of this vicinity 
so far as it could be accurately understood, pronounced and 
spelled by the men who settled these parts. The opinion 
expressed by modern students of the Algonquin language that 
Wallum was more nearly correct than Allum, will be presented 
later. 

Opinions as to the Meaning of Allmn. 

Trumbull, the Connecticut historian, states that Allum or 
Wallum Pond took its name from "A Quinebaug Captain whose 
name, meaning Fox (Peq. A'Wumps)^ was variously written 
AUums, Allumps,Hyems, lams, Hyenps." In view of the similar- 
ity of the name of Allum Pond to that of the Sachem, Allumps, 
of Trumbull's o])inion that it was named after this chief, which 
has been accepted 1)y other historians, and of Trumbull's reputa- 
tion as historian and student of the Indian language, the life of 
Allumps will be appended in some detail". 

It appears that after leaving Pawtuckquachooge in the Nar- 
ragansett Country, Allumps made his home in Egunk, Conn.. 
near the Rhode Island line, about 24 miles as the crow flies, 
south of Allum Pond. Had he ever lived at Allum Pond, it is 
unlikely that this fact would not have been mentioned by his 



1 Indian Names in Connecticut. J. H. Trumbull, page 3. 
- See appendix. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 1] 

Indian contemporaries at the legislative investigation, as they 
were particularly cjuestioned as to his residence, Passagcogon 
recalling the one year w^hich Allumps spent West of the Quine- 
baug. If in addition to this documentary evidence, we consider 
that there is no local tradition that Allumps ever lived here, that 
it was not customary for Indians to name places after individ- 
uals, and that there was another Alum Pond in Sturbridge and 
still another in Brimiield, Mass., Trumbull's statement that this 
pond was named after Allumps, is, to say the least, improbable. 

Mr. Sidney S. Rider, in his "Lands of Rhode Island," stated 
that Allum Pond was known to the earliest Englishmen there 
as Awamp's Pond ; Awumps was a Nipmuck Sachem whom 
these English found there. The name became in time Allum's 
Pond and at last \\'allum.'" ]\Ir. Rider was unable to cite^ 
authority for the aljove statements and there appears to be 
no written evidence or local tradition that Wallum Pond was 
ever called Awamp's Pond or that a Nipmuck Sachem by that 
name ever lived here. 

In his "Key," Roger Williams gives Alum as the Nipmuck 
word for dog, but there is no rock or striking object about the 
pond which resembles a dog. While not in accordance with the 
usual custom- of the Indians to name a pond after an animal 
not naturally found nearby, it might have been done if some 
unusual incident in connection with a dog had happened here. 
However, the fact that two other ponds to the westward should 
be named Alum makes it highly improbable that these three 
ponds were named after dogs. There is also good authority for 
the view that the word Alum, like many Indian words, had more 
than one meaning. 

Wal was a root frequently used by the Nipmucks of this 
vicinity in naming persons as well as places, thus : Walomachin, 
Walumpaw, Walowononck, etc. 

In Ruttenber's Indian Geographical Names, the meaning of 
the word Allum as it occurs in the phrase, Allum Rocks, is thus 



1 Mr. Rider's statement to writer. 

2 Mr. William B. Cabot, in a personal communication to the writer 
so states as pertains to the present Algonquins of Labrador. 



12 THE MEANING OF ALLUM 

explained in a footnote on page 41 : " '\\'allam" — the initial 'W 
dropped — literally 'Paint Rocks" a formation of Igneous rocks 
which, by exposure, become disintegrated into soft earthy 
masses. There are several varieties. The Indians used the dis- 
integrated masses for paint. The name is met in some forms 
in all Algonquin dialects." 

In his Key to the Indian Language, Roger Williams gives the 
following Indian words and their definitions: 
Aunakesu He is painted 

Aunakeuck They are painted 

On page 183 of Dexter's edition of the Key, the word "W'un- 
nam" is defined as "red earth" and as "Their red painting which 
they most delight in." If the Nipmuck 1 be substituted for the 
Narragansett n, \\\ninam is changed into Wullam. In the 
translation of the sentence, "Jezebel painted her face/' II. Kings 
9:30, in Eliot's Bible, no words or syllables occur which have 
any similarity to Wallum and the same may be said of the pas- 
sages in Jeremiah, 22:14, and Ezekiel, 23:40, which refer 
to painting. Mr. Lincoln M. Kinnicutt^ quotes Mr. Harry 
Wright as saying that "the Indians about Hudson Bay used the 
word ^^'oloman or Wolomon as meaning something red, not as 
a synonym for red, but for something colored red. The gum 
which they use on their boats and which they color red, the}' 
call \\'oloman." In the translation of the words "dyed red," in 
Eliot's Bible, Exodus 25:5, 26:14, 35:7 and 35:23, Woloman 
is not used, but the more common word for red, Masquodsu. 
In Eliot's Bible the word "Wunne" is frequently used to express 
the English word "good," and "Wunnetu" to express the word 
"beautiful." If the Nipmuck 1 be substituted for the ^lassa- 
chusetts n, Wunne is converted into Wulle, which is very sim- 
ilar to Wallum. especially if it be considered that the Indians 
had no written language, the settlers writing down the word as 
it sounded with considerable variation of the spelling, depending 
on who wrote it. In defining the word "Wallum." Ruttenber 
comments further as follows : "It is from a generic root written 
in different dialects, Walla. Wara. etc., meaning 'fine, hand- 

1 Indian Names of Places in Worcester Countv. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 13 

some, good,' etc., from which in the Delaware, Dr. Brinton 
derived Walam 'Painted,' 'from the sense to be fine in appear- 
ance, to dress, which the Indians accomplished l)y painting their 
bodies.' " Cabot^ also states that "the bottom meaning of the 
word Allum is fine, beautiful." As no red rocks, soil or other 
materials which the Indians could have used for paint have so 
far been found about the Allum ponds, it is not unlikely that 
these ponds were given the name Allum in its primary meaning. 
Wallum Pond is attractive in general appearance and is noted 
for the clarity and purity of its water, its outlet stream having 
been known as Clear River from the earliest times. Even in a 
country where good water is plentiful, one must go a long way 
to find such transparent pond water. This remarkably fine qual- 
ity or clarity of the water is the most striking feature common 
to the three Alum Ponds, and these qualities should have 
impressed the Indians as much as their white successors. There 
is, in fact, a tradition or belief- in Brimfield that the Indian 
word Alum as applied to these ponds meant "clear water." 
Assuming that "Allum" or "Wallum" Pond meant to the Indian 
"fine" pond, "good" pond, or "beautiful" pond, it was an appro- 
priate name for these ponds. A\'hile at this date there can be 
no certainty what the Indians meant by using the word Allum 
or Wallum in connection with this pond, the evidence favors the 
definition last given. 

Indian Relics and Traditions. 

A tradition'' has been handed down from early times that the 
Indians had corn fields on Wallum Pond Hill and that the set- 
tlers, on opening the hills of corn, found sand therein, which 
the Indians had carried from the beach at the northern end of 
the pond and which they believed aided the growth of the corn. 
As the soil about here is wet and heavv, it seems likelv that the 



1 In a personal communication to the writer. 

- Information obtained from Mr. W. C. Davenport, of East Brim- 
field, Mass. 

"• Statements to the writer by Seth Ross (1829- ), received from 
several men in his youth, by Sylvester Angell from his father, Brown 
Angell, and by Barton Jacobs from Otis Buxton. 



14 INDIAN RELICS AND TRADITIONS 

sand might have given their corn an earher start. About a third 
of a mile eastward from the Singleton place on Wallum Pond 
Hill, a ridge of gravel about ten feet high and fifty feet wide 
at the base, rises abruptly from the low land and extends about 
1,500 feet southerly from the ^Massachusetts-Rhode Island line 
across the highway leading from the Singleton place to the Tas- 
seltop road. There is a tradition^ - that this ridge which lies 
between the swamp by the brook on the east and south and the 
southern part of Bear Swamp on the west, was utilized by the 
Indians for a fort. The Indian forts were frequently adjacent 
to swamps, and this ridge possessed great natural strength for 
such purpose. Many Indian arrow heads and highly polished 
stones of various colors about J4 "ich square and 2 or 3 inches 
long have been ploughed out of the narrow strip of land between 
the ridge and the brook''. A few hundred feet to the eastward 
of the ridge on the old Eddy place was the "Island Lot," so 
called because many years ago a small brook dividing southerly 
of the house and reuniting about 800 feet northerly enclosed 
several acres of land with tiny streams during high water. On 
the westerly side of this lot as late as 1880 were a few mounds 
spared the plough by Daniel Buxton because they were Indian 
graves*. Alany Indian arrow heads were found on the Ezra 
Stone (Friery) farm westerly of the gravel ridge^, and on the 
Charles Arnold farm''. Arrow heads were found Init with less 
frequenc}- by those who ploughed the lands near the Sana- 
torium. 

On the Ernest Singleton (Asahel Aldrich) place is a large 
egg shaped stone, a photograph of which is shown. Old 
people claimed that this stone was formerly on the Israel 
Aldrich farm on the northern end of Wallum Pond Hill, and 



1 Received from Lippitt Eddy (1755-1838) by Daniel Buxton, given 
to writer by the latter's son, Wm. Buxton. 

2 Levi Brown and Jos. Bowdish (1810-1900), through Nancy Buxton 
Anderson to writer. 

" Ellen Buxton Church to writer. 
•* Wm. Buxton to writer. 
^ James Riley to writer. 
" Fred Arnold to writer. 




WALLUM POND INDIAN RELICS 




MAP OF WALLUM POND AND VICINITY 



THE VVALLUM POND ESTATES 



15 



Key to ]\Iap. 
100 places mentioned in the text and numbered on the map. 



1. 


Ballard's House 


47. 


Buxton House 


2. 


Store 


48. 


Mason House 




Blacksmith Shop 


49. 


Blacksmith Shop 




Cotton House 


50. 


Coffee House 




Gristmill 


51. 


The Brass Ball 




Sawmill 


52. 


The Gore 




Cotton Mill 


53. 


Chamberlain Pond 




Shingle Mill 


54. 


Aldrich Pond 




Woolen Mill 


55. 


Snake Den 


3. 


Turning Lathe 


56. 


Boarding House 


4. 


Middle Mill 


57. 


The Ice House 


5. 


Sylvester Angell's House 


58. 


Brick Yard 


6. 


Angell's Store 


59. 


Dyer Camp 


7. 


Kimball House 


60. 


Inman Camp 


8. 


Timothy Jcnne House 


61. 


Granger Camp 


9. 


Robbins House 


62. 


Singleton Camp 


10. 


State Sanatorium 


63. 


Moss Pond 




Jenne Graveyard 


64. 


Indian Rock 


11. 


Seth Jenne House 


65. 


Lovers Rock 


12. 


Lower Sawmill 


66. 


Mormon Church 


13. 


A. Phillips House 


67. 


Indian Camp Site 


14. 


Sanborn House 


68. 


Bowdish House 


15. 


Green House 


69. 


School House 


16. 


King House 


70. 


Israel Aldrich House 


17. 


Cranberry Bog 


71. 


Graveyard 


18. 


Peters House 


72. 


Vickers House 


19. 


Wells House 


73. 


Chas. Arnold House 


20. 


Whipple Angell House 


74. 


A. Ritchie House 


21. 


Chase House 


75. 


Bear Swamp 


22. 


R. Angell Tavern 


76. 


Fairfield Place 


23. 


Scott Cabin 


77. 


Olney Angell House 


24. 


Porter House 


78. 


Singleton House 


25. 


Ward House 


79. 


Graveyard 


26. 


Twist House 


80. 


Enoch Angell House 


27. 


Money Rocks 


81. 


School House 


28. 


Robbins Cabin 


82. 


School House 


29. 


Stanfield House 


83. 


Tannery 


30. 


Wm. Trask House 


84. 


Asahel Alger House 


31. 


Whiting House 


85. 


Adam White House 


32. 


Logee Tavern 


86. 


Samuel White House 


33. 


"Boiling" Spring 


87. 


Quarries 


34. 


Trask Brook 


88. 


Joshua Alger House 


35. 


Goat Rock 


89. 


Preserved Alger House 


36. 


Sawmill Pond 


90. 


George Stone House 


37. 


Badger Mountam 


91. 


Stone Graveyard 


38. 


Cold Spring Brook 


92. 


Jonah Brown House 


39. 


Leeson Brook 


93. 


Ezra Stone House 


40. 


Gaucher Camp 


94. 


Gravel Ridge 


41. 


Coon Cave 


95. 


Indian Fort Site 


42. 


Rattlesnake Ledge 


96. 


Eddy Graveyard 


43. 


Worsley House 


97. 


Dutee Eddy House 


44 


Whitman House 


98. 


Island Lot 


45 


Starr House 


99. 


Indian Graves Site 


46. 


Thayer Cabin 


ion. 


"The Hemlock" Woods 



16 INDIAN RELICS AND TRADITIONS 

that it was an Indian corn grinding stone\ The stone appears 
to be a granite similar in character to the granite boulders of 
this vicinity. It has a remarkably symmetrical ovoid form with 
a fairly smooth surface, evidently shaped and finished by human 
agency. One end of the stone has a slightly hollowed facet 
about six inches in diameter. From one side of this facet, a 
thin piece measuring about three by two inches has been chipi^ed 
oft". As the stone rests on its flattened end. it measures thirteen 
inches in height and fourteen and a half inches in width at the 
widest part. Measured at right angles to its vertical axis, as 
it sets on end, it has a maximum circumference of forty-two 
and one-half inches. The weight of the stone is 130 pounds. 
On one side appears the figure of a human head, cut in about 
one-sixteenth of an inch. The part about the nose and lips 
appears imperfectly drawn. The lines shown in the photograph 
were traced with chalk, excepting the line of the back which 
extends a little farther than shown in the photograph. On one 
side of the stone opposite to the drawing of the head, is the 
letter A, the sides of the A being about one and one-half inches 
long. The letter surely, and the figure probably, was not pro- 
duced by uncivilized red men. Stones smaller Imt similar in 
shape are still used by backward peoples, in husking or grinding 
grain'-. It is very unlikely that the settlers would fashion or use 
a stone in this way. as there were grain mills in this section 
when the Wallum Pond lands were cleared. It appears to be 
what tradition claims for it, an Indian corn grinding stone. 
Although so heavy, it rolls easily and grinds corn well, as has 
been recently demonstrated. The size and weight of the stone 
are evidence in favor of a large and permanent Indian popula- 
tion in this vicinity, as a small population would not need it. and 
without beasts of burden, it would have been im])racticable for 
Indians to transport it. 

The boulder on which the ovoid stone was photographed is 
a quadrilateral shaped rock about eleven feet on each side, the 
top being between four and five feet above the ground. It is 
located about 600 feet westerlv of the James H. Singleton i)lace 



1 William (iroen rc'mcnil)crs wlu'ii this stone was pli>u.s>hed out a few 
rods west of the Iiarn on tlic Otis lUixton jilace' hv Daniel FJuxton aliout 
1848. 

-Sec Tlie National r.eotiraphic Magazine. \'o1. XLI.. I'aue 211. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 17 

on the southwestern slope of W'allum Pond Hill, and about 1 
mile from where the ovoid stone was found. Near the eastern 
side of the flat top of the boulder is an area about three by four 
feet depressed below the surface from two to five inches, and 
suggesting a fitting place for the use of the corn grinding stone. 
There is no convincing evidence of the use of the boulder by the 
Indians, and no traditions in regard to it. are known to exist. 
The pestle shown in the photograph, now in the possession of 
the writer, was found l)y Alexander Ritchie on his farm on 
Wallum Pond Hill in 1906. 

Indian relics were frequently found in the vicinity of the 
house at one time occupied by Reuben Fairfiekl, situated on the 
highway leading easterly from the Israel Aldrich place on \\'al- 
lum Pond Hill and about 2 miles therefrom. About 300 feet 
easterly of this house is a small gravevard where Simeon Heren- 
deen (1743-1820), a Revolutionary soldier, was buried. Heren- 
deen owned the land running northward from the graveyard to 
the house of his son-in-law, Jonathan Marcv, and this property 
has been continuously in possession of this familv, including the 
present owner, Edwin Esten, the great-grandson. The latter's 
mother told him that the Indian cornfields were located between 
the Marcy house and the graveyard and showed him two rocks 
where the Indians ground their corn. One of these boulders, 
near the corner of a stone wall about 30 rods southeasterlv of 
the ]\Iarcy house, was inspected by the writer in 1920. It 
showed a shallow depression about 18 inches in diameter. Near 
this rock, a stone pestle was found by Mr. Esten, about 1855. 
When a child, Air. Esten was shown several poles about 5 inches 
in diameter which according to the family tradition, were frag- 
ments of wigwam poles. About 100 feet easterly of the grave- 
yard, is a large "boiling" spring said to have been used by the 
Indians at this camp site. It is likely that, after 1800. some of 
the Indians belonging to their settlements in Natick, Webster 
and Woodstock, were allowed to camp temporarily at some of 
their old sites and that it was the poles remaining from these 
camps which were shown Mr. Esten. About a mile and a half 
northeasterlv from the northern end of Wallum Pond and about 



-*?! 



18 WALOMACHIN OR BLACK JAMES 

100 feet southerly of the Grand Trunk road bed, is a large flat 
topped ledge called Indian Rock\ According to Airs. Syra Jeph- 
erson (Patty Pease), there were at one time Indian cornfields 
easterly of this rock and also to the northward on the easterly 
side of what is now Moss Pond. About 1853, she showed 
Edwin Esten two holes in this rock which had been used by 
the Indians for grinding corn. Several years later, part of this 
ledge was quarried and one of the holes destroyed. The remain- 
ing hole was shown to the writer by Mr. Esten in 1920. P 
forms a shallow basin, about one foot in diameter, and the rock 
has the appearance of having been worn down by artificial 
means. In the centre of the depression is an oval hole about 
5 inches by 3 inches by 4 inches deep. From these relics and 
traditions, it is certain that Wallum Pond and vicinity were 
much frecjuented by the Indians. 

Jl'alouiacliiii or Black James. 

Before 1674, the Indians of several villages a few miles to the 
westward in Thompson, Woodstock and Webster, had been 
converted to Christianity by Indian missionaries trained by the 
Rev. John Eliot. Major Daniel Gookin-, the Indian agent of 
Massachusetts, had appointed Black James constable over the 
"Praying Towns." empowering him to apprehend delinquents, 
to bring those guilty of minor oiTences before ^^'attasacom- 
panum, ruler of the Nipmuck country, and to bring those guilty 
of idolatry and powwowing before Gookin. Black James at 
first won high praise from Gookin as being "zealous to sup- 
press sin," but, on the outbreak of King Philip's \\'ar, he joined 
the enemy. P)y convincing the Indians outside the "Praying 
Towns" that the\- would all be killed'' because they were not 
praying Indians and by forcing the praying Indians to join the 
hostiles or be killed by them\ he exercised great influence over 
the Indians of this section. P)ef()re the war, he lived at Chau- 

1 Many old people of this vicinity transmit the tradition tliat tliis was 
an Indian rock. 

- Gookin's Narrative. Col. Mass. Hist. Soc. First Series Vol. 1. 
•' Temple's History of North Brookfield, p. 74. 
••Drake's Book of the Indians, book II., p. 118. 




r 






INDIAN ROCK 



THE VVALLUM POND ESTATES 19 

bunagungamun (Webster) and on Oct. 23, 1700, he sold 240 
acres of land on the north end of lake "Chaubungum," situated 
about five miles northwesterly of the northern end of Wallum 
Pond, the plot accompanying the deed showing the location of 
the lake, fort, etc.^ As late as 1702, Black James plotted mis- 
chief with other Indians near Brookfield-. W'alomachin was 
the most important Indian to deed that part of the Nipmuck 
country embracing the lands about the northern end of Wallum 
Pond to the Oolony of Massachusetts. 

The Southern Nipmucks. 

On May 11, 1681, Massachusetts authorized William Stough- 
ton and Joseph Dudley to investigate the Indian titles to the 
Nipmuck country and report. About a month later, after due 
notice, a meeting of the Indian claimants was called in Cam- 
bridge with Mr. Eliot as interpreter. The Indians were found 
"willing enough to claim the whole country, but litigious and 
doubtful among themselves," and were therefore dismissed to 
settle their ditTerences. Before the second meeting in the fol- 
lowing September, the principal claimants were "warned" to 
travel in com])any with the commissioners as far and as much 
as one week would allow. On Oct. 17th, Stoughton and Dudley 
reported to the legislature that the Southern Nipmuck country 
claimed l)y Black James i^^ Co. was "capable of good settlement 
if not too scant of meadow though uncertain what will fall 
within the bounds if our line be questioned." After due author- 
ization, Stoughton and Dudley bought for 20 pounds, Feb. 10. 
1682. of "Black James & Co.," a triangular tract of land 
bounded on the east by the Blackstone or Nipmuck River, on 
the southeast by a line of marked trees, on the south by the 
south line of Massachusetts, on the north by an imaginary line 
four miles north of the Boston-Springfield path and coming to 
a point on the west on the Connecticut line near Springfield, 
reserving for the Indians a tract of land five miles square after- 

1 Land records in the office of the Secretary of State. Boston. Mass. 
Archives, Vol. 31, p. 46, 47, Map and Plan 3rd series. Vol. 32, p. 16. 

- Letter of John Perrv to Gov. Dudlev. Mass. Arcliives. Vol. 70. 
p. 618, 619. 



20 THE SOUTHERN NIPMUCKS 

ward set off in Oxford and Thompson. The names of the 
Indians who signed or subsequently agreed to the deed were : 

Black James, alias Walomachin Sean Jasco 

Benjamin W'abequalan 

James Sebaquat 

Simon Wolomp Madaquamin 

Tascomp Cook Robin 

Sasequejasuck Pamphosit 

Pomponechum Naontock 

Papomsham Nanatoho 

W'olowononck Aspenaw 

Pe Pegous Peter Pacataw 

John Awagwon John Hownaheteammen 

Sosoquaw Mattaomp 

Tobi Alataquish Mat A\'aisk 

James Wiser Wawunhit 

James Acojock Sam M. Seeg 

Welompaw Cotoosonk 

Pa])eunquanant Acadaquami 

Waumshk Wawaus. or James Printer 

On May 18th, 1682, a second deed was signed by one Indian 
whose name does not appear on the first one, namely, Sewos- 
sasco. Twelve other Indians who, though absent at the signing 
of the first deed, had apparently authorized their signatures, 
also signed this second deed. These deeds obviously included 
the northern or Massachusetts end of Wallum Pond and the 
adjacent lands. The northern Nipmuck country toward Wachu- 
sett was not bought at this time because the Commissioners could 
not find Indians "meet to be treated with thereabouts." The 
care taken by the Commissioners to make the titles valid by 
securing signatures from the Indians of each localitx' warrants 
the assumption that the 37 signers of the deeds were the head 
men of this region, probably the heads of families. If we so 
assume and also assume, as did Gookin and Eliot, that the Indian 
family averaged five members, there were in 1682, in the South- 
ern Nipmuck country of Massachusetts, at least 185 Indians of 
local Nipmuck origin in addition to Narragansetts and others 



THE WALLL'M POND ESTATES 21 

who are known to have emigrated here. Although northwestern 
Rhode Island was clearly Nipmuck country, this colony did not 
recognize the Nipmuck claims and it is doubtful whether there 
were any Indian deeds to settlers about Wallum Pond on the 
Rhode Island side of the line. The only Indian deed in Burrill- 
ville known to the writer is that of John Hoaneniuhesio to 
Edward Salisbury of land near Herring Pond, dated March 8. 
1774. A. F. Brown, in his article on Douglas^, states that, 
"prior to the year 1708, the territory now embraced within the 
limits of the town of Douglas was an unbroken forest inhabited 
by a few Indian stragglers from the Narragansett or Xipmuck 
Tribes. One small band occupied the extreme easterly pa.vt of 
the town, another the southern part and still another band were 
located northerly of the centre." Some of the Indians are said 
to have died of smallpox'-, which, according to Emerson", was 
epidemic in Douglas in 1792 and 1825. Descendants of these 
Indians continued to live in Douglas, some of them in the vicin- 
ity of Walltmi Pond until well into the last century. They made 
and peddled liaskets and other handiwork. A few intermarried 
with whites and more with negroes. 

Patty Pease. 

One of the last of the Nipmucks reputed to be of pure blood 
was Patty Pease. At some time ])rior to 1835, she lived with 
her mother, who was said to have been a medicine woman, in a 
cabin northerly of the Abel Parker sawmill. This sawmill site 
is northerly of the highway running easterly toward Douglas 
trom Wallum Pond Hill and about a mile from the latter. About 
300 feet northwesterly of the mill dam, is a large boulder whicb 
has been quarried and was the site of the courtship of this Indian 
girl bv her white lover. Syra Jepherson. After their marriage, 
they lived about a mile from Tasseltop. She often visited Badluck 
Pond to gather material for baskets. There was a tradition among 
the old settlers of this vicinitv that Badluck Pond was so named 



1 Hamilton Hurd's History of Worcester Co., p. 1395. 
~ Statement of Joseph Wallis, given to the writer by his son, \V. R. 
Wallis. 

•■'Emerson's History of Douglas, p. 62. 



22 PATTY PEASE 

by the Indians because one of them was drowned there'. Patty 
told Edwin Esten that this pond was given an Indian name 
meaning bad luck because an Indian with his squaw and papoose 
were drowned in attempting to cross it in a canoe. Three sons 
of Patty Pease Jepherson entered the Union armies during the 
Civil \\'ar and two of her grandsons with decidedly Indian cast 
of features were employed in the construction of the hospital at 
Wallum Pond in 1916. 

The Boston Men. 

In response to a petition, the General Court of Massachusetts, 
in November. 1722. appointed a committee to sell 3,000 acres of 
common land in what is now southern Douglas. The committee, 
consisting of Paul Dudley. John Ouincy and Benjamin \\'hitt- 
more, held an auction at the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston on 
Wednesday, the 3rd dav of April, 1723. A 1100-acre tract near 
the present Uxbridge line was sold to Dr. William Douglas and 
associates for 4 shillings per acre and a 1900-acre tract adjacent 
to Wallum Pond was sold to Benjamin Bronsdon and associates 
for 3 shillings. 3 ])ence per acre. AMien the deeds were made 
out the next day. it api^eared that Dr. Douglas' and Mr. Brons- 
don's associates were the same and that both tracts were to be 
divided equally among the following six men : Dr. William 
Douglas. Benjamin Bronsdon. John Binning, Abijah Savage. 
Andrew Tyler and William Tyler. T(i distinguish this tract 
from previous grants to Sherburn men. it was called "The Bos- 
ton Men's Farms." The bounds of this 1900-acre tract as stated 
in the original deed are rather hard to locate, but in the settle- 
ment of the estate of Andrew Tyler, these bounds are given as 
follows : "Beginning at a white oak tree in the Colony line Xorth 
6V2° East 545 rods to Hedgehog Corner, then west 3^4° Xorth 
500 rods to Bear Corner, then south 6J/>° west 156 rods to a 
stone heap on a knowle. then west 180 rods to a white oak tree, 
then South 6j.4° west 4C0 rods to the Colony line, then on the 
Colony line to ^^^alomp pond then l)ound round the Xorth end 



^ Statement to the writer hy William Church, which information wa.^ 
received from Salem Walling. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 23 

of said pond till it comes to the Colony line again, then on said 
line to the bound first mentioned." From a deed of Jeremiah 
Green to John Hunt, it is possible to fix the first bound as 372 
rods from the point where the Colony line crosses the Last bank 
of W'allum Pond, and the 1900-acre tract is located approxi- 
mately as shown on the map. The original plot of the division 
of the 1900-acre tract among the 6 men is not known to be in 
existence but all the lots ran eastward from the east shore of the 
pond more than a mile, a considerable distance east of the high- 
way over W'allum Pond Hill. John Binning, a merchant, had 
the lot next the colony line. After his death, the land passed to 
his only child and heir, Sarah, who had married Jeremiah Green, 
a Boston distiller. 

Dr. William Douglas (1691-1752), a Scotchman, who 
arrived in Boston in 1718, established a lucrative practice, and 
was brought into considerable prominence by his Historical 
.Summarw his writings on vaccination and other medical sub- 
jects. His map of New England has previously been alluded to. 
Dr. Douglas acquired much land in Boston, in Douglas and 
other parts of \\'orcester County. In 1750. he gave 30 acres of 
land and a dwelling house to the inhabitants of what was then 
Xew Sherborn and the people of this district gave the town his 
name. After Dr. Douglas' death, his lands in this vicinity 
passed to his sister, Catherine Carr. Andrew Tyler (1692- 
1767). a goldsmith and merchant, had married Miriam, daughter 
of William PepperelP, Baronet, the famous Governor of ^lassa- 
chusetts. Andrew's brother, William Tyler (1687-1758), a 
l)razier. had married Jane. Miriam's sister. Andrew Tyler's 
131 -acre lot, 62 rods wide, lay north of the present Ritchie place 
on Wallum Pond Hill. After his death, this lot went to his 
granddaughter, ^Miriam. A part was later sold to Caleb \Miiting 
for nonpayment of taxes, and the remainder, Miriam sold to Dr. 
Jennison. Another lot west of the Pond and the Cedar Swamp 
lot northwest of the pond was left by Andrew Tyler to his 
daughter, Marv. The warrant for the division of Andrew 



1 Parson's Life of Pepperell, pp. 31-32. 



24 THE BOSTON MEN 

T\ler"s estate was dated May 7. 1767. William Tyler had pur- 
chased Benjamin Bronsdon's share in the tract. Some of Wil- 
liam Tyler's land lay ahout the northern end of the pond. After 
his death, his lands passed to his son. Joseph. Abijah Savage's 
lot lay next the colony line extending westward from the west 
shore of the pond. None of the Boston men lived on their 
Wallum Pond lands. 

The Rhode Island Proprietors. 

The original deed which Roger \Mlliams obtained from the 
Narragansett Sachems on March 24. 1638. did not cover the 
W^allum Pond section; but. by subsequent deeds, colonial char- 
ters and boundary agreements with Alassachusetts and Connecti- 
cut, this land was finally confirmed to Rhode Island. As desir- 
able settlers came and contributed funds to the Colony they were 
voted into the company until there were 101 proprietors who 
divided up the lands and sold to other settlers. The land was 
divided and sold a little at a time, some of it being held in com- 
mon over 100 years. Nearly all the land west of the seven-mile 
line (a north and south line 7 miles west of Providence) was 
held in common or as undivided land up to 1700. Between 1705 
and 1729. there were 10 different divisions of lands west of the 
seven-mile line among the proprietors^ It should be understood 
that manv of the proprietors were Providence men of consider- 
able means who only held land as a speculation and who did 
not care to live on it. Squatters or tenants sometimes improved 
the lands. The first deed or lay out of land in the vicinity of 
Allum Pond so far noticed in the records of Providence is given 
below. 

"Paper Xo. 16853."- 

"Layed out to JoSeph WilkiSson and W^illiam Hopkins one 
hundred acres of "land on ye weSt Side of ye Seuen Mile line 
and within ye TownShip of providence and neer a pond Called 
allam pond and bounded as followeth beginning at a white oake 
tree being ve northweSterly Corner then Rainging SouthweSt 



i See Town Paper No. 17885. book 30D. page 65. 
- Providence Town Papers Vol. 39A. 



THE WALLUM POXD ESTATES 25 

Sixty poles to a walnut tree marked and Stones layed about it 
then Rainging SoutheEterly one hundred and ninty two poles to 
a CheStnutt tree marked and Stones layed aljout it then Raing- 
ing northeSterly to a white oake tree }?c:::^ being one hundred 
and twenty poles then Rainging upon a Strate line SvSUthEStcrlv 
one hundred and ninty two poles to ye first mentioned bound 
the aboueSd bounds are all marked and Stones layed about them 

Layd out to William Hopkins fifty acres of land on the WeSt 
Side of ye Seuen mile line and within ye Township of providence 
and bounded as followeth beginning at a white oake tree marked 
then Rainging weSterly forty poles to a read oake tree marked 
then Rainging Southerly one hundred and twenty poles to a 
white c::l:2 trc? pine tree marked then Rainging eSte ninty Eight 
poles to a white oake tree marked, then Rainging north one hun- 
dred and twenty poles to ye firSt mentioned white oake tree, 
being Situate alittlebout a mile from allom pond and about 
SoutheSterly from ye Same and was layed out on ye origonal 
of ( ) and upon ye fifty acre diuiSion on ye weSt Side of ye 

aforeSd Seuen mile line which was agreed upon by the pur- 
cherSors layed out ye Eigth Day of apriel in ye yeare one 
thouSand Seuen hundred and ten by me" 

On April 11. 1729, Elisha Knowlton surveyed a lot of land 
for Nicholas Lapham in the 140 acre division. This land was 
some distance east of AUum Pond and next the Colony line, 
probably near Nipmauge brook. John Whipple was living on 
this land when he bought it of Lapham, Nov. 27, 1746. 

Nicholas Power 3rd, by his will dated March 16, 1732, dis- 
posed of 1294 acres of land in Gloucester west of the seven 
mile line. This tract of land when laid out extended roughly 
from the Clear River outlet of Wallum Pond on the north, 
southward about 2>^ miles to Little Worth cedar swamp below 
the corner of the Buck Hill Road. It was about a mile wide 
east and west and included practically all the original 250 acre 
tract later purchased for the State Sanatorium. The right^ of 
Nicholas Power 3rd, to these 1294 acres was based on the orig- 
inal purchase rights of his great-grandfather, Nicholas Power, 

^ See deed of Power to Gibbs, Gloucester Records. 



26 THE RHODE ISLAND PROPRIETORS 

and of Francis \Yeston, Thomas Roberts and Benjamin Smith. 
Francis Weston was one of the 12 grantors of the initial deed\ 
He was captured with the Gortonists at Warwick, carried to 
Boston, September, 1643, brought before the Court Nov. 3rd, 
sent to prison at Dorchester, released in March, 1644. and ban- 
ished both from Massachusetts and Warwick. He returned to 
Warwick and died there prior to June 4, 1645. His nephew and 
heir, Richard Harcut. sold his commonage rights to Nicholas 
Power about 1650-. 

A statement to the effect that Nicholas Power died Aug. 25, 
1657, and had made no will in writing, is signed In' Roger Wil- 
liams and four others as members of the town council. They 
ordered that his son, Nicholas Power, 2nd, the next day after he 
became 21 years of age, should have "One Wayunkeage Right 
by Vertue of his Father's Town Right, a five acre share." etc. 
Nicholas Power, 2nd, was killed by the Indians Dec. 19, 1675, 
in the Great Swamp fight. Thomas Roberts died in Newport 
after 1672 without an heir, his estates going to Christopher Rob- 
erts of Gloucester, England''. Benjamin Smith had a full pur- 
chase right in 1665. It seems probable that the Roberts and 
Smith rights were acquired by Nicholas Power, 2nd, between 
1670 and the time of his death. The purchase rights after- 
ward used in acquiring the Allum Pond estate were left to 
his son, Nicholas Power, 3rd, who has previously been referred 
to. Under the date of December 31, 1722, in the Moses 
Brown papers, is a record of the sale by Power of a negro man 
Cuffey. Nicholas Power. 3rd, was a man of considerable impor- 
tance in the colony. The records show that he was one of the 
assistants in the General Assembly in 1720 and Deputy from 
Providence to the Assembly in 1722. He evidently allowed his 
purcliase rights in the division of lands west of the seven-mile 
line to accumulate until they entitled him to 1294 acres, which 
could not have happened before 1723. In his will, dated March 
16, 1732, his son, Nicholas, was directed to select the best 200 



1 E. R. Vol. III., p. 90. 

■^ E. R. Vol. IV., p. 231. ' 

•'• Richard Smith appointed administrator Dec. 5. 1679. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 27 

acres and his son, Joseph, the next hest 200 acres hefore the 
rest of the estate was disposed of. Nicholas Power, 4th, bought 
Joseph's 200 acres, and, May 24, 1743, with his mother, sold the 
entire 1294 acres to Dr. Robert Gibbs, one of the prominent 
ph}sicians of the Colony, 500 pounds being the sum named. 
Dr. Gibbs sold 96>^ acres of this land to Jeremiah Ballard, of 
Smithfield, Sept. 30, 1766, another lot west of Buck Hill corner 
to one Thayer, and the rest of this estate was broken up among 
his children after his death. The partition of the Gibbs estate 
by the Inferior Court took place in June, 1770. 

TJie Early Settlers. 

The 96j/2 acres bought of Dr. Gibbs by Jeremiah Ballard, 
extended roughly from just north of the natural outlet of the 
pond, back of O' Neil's Camp to a short distance below the pres- 
ent Sanborn house and included the water privileges of Clear 
River and the site of the present sanatorium buildings. Bal- 
lard had doubtless been impressed with the value of the water 
privileges at the outlet of the pond while surveying the Capt. 
John Whipple farm on Allum Pond Hill and he must be given 
credit for first developing the water power. Ballard built a 
small one-story dwelling house, a cornmill and a sawmill west 
•of the Clear River bridge and cleared a small piece of land, as, 
in his deed of sale, fences are mentioned. The dwelling house 
and mills were probably built soon after his purchase of the 
property in 1766, as pioneers were coming into this section rap- 
idly and they were very dependent on grist mills. Old residents 
loved to tell of the settlers coming to this grist mill in dead of 
winter, each man on snowshoes with a bag of corn on his back. 

The Allom Pond Farm, so called, (recently the James H. 
Singleton Farm) was originally surveyed from common land 
by Jeremiah Ballard and Thomas Herendeen for Capt. John 
Whipple, a prominent Providence man of that period. Whipple, 
like Power, had evidently allowed his purchase rights in the 
first seven divisions of land to accumulate until after 1723, when 
he was entitled to 323 acres. The farm was said to contain 330 
acres and extended to the Colony line on the North, to the pond 
•on the west, and to Power's land below the present railroad on 



28 THE EARLY SETTLERS 

the south. Capt. Wliipple sold the farm which had previously 
been leased to Jeremiah Brown, to his son. Joseph Whipple. Jan. 
4, 1768. John Rowland bought the Capt. Whipple farm of the 
latter's son, Joseph, in 1770. and sold in small lots to William, 
James, Joseph, and Thos. Rowland, Ezra Stone, John Alger and 
others who cleared the lands and made their home there. Ezra 
Stone lived where the stone house is now located, half a mile 
east of the present Singleton house. 

In February, 1773, Jacob Eddy bought a lot of Joseph Eddy 
and built a house on what is usually known as the King ])lace, 
about a half a mile south of the sanatorium on the location of 
the present vegetable garden. Hoziel Hopkins bought this place 
of Jacob Eddy, Oct. 29. 1773. and lived there nearly 20 years. 
One of Joseph Eddy's hunting experiences in this region is thus 
recorded in the proceedings of the General Assembly, Feb. 26, 
1739-40: 'AVhereas Joseph Eady of Gloucester, in the County 
of Providence, produced a certificate from Andrew Brown, Esq., 
a Justice of the Peace, in said Gloucester, that he had presented 
to his view an old wolf's and seven young creature's heads, 
which the said Eady made oath, were wolve's heads, and that he 
killed the old wolf and destroyed the young ones, all within this 
government ; It is thereupon resolved, that the bounty on the old 
wolf's head be allowed, and no more, it being uncertain whether 
the young creatures were wolves or not. God save the King." 
The reader will readily appreciate this legislative dilemma, but 
must draw his own conclusions as to whether the difficulty was 
due to the cunning of Joseph Eddy, the scepticism of Justice 
Brown, or to the wolf with atypical ofifspring. 

The Highway. 

On April 13. 1772. on the i)etition of Enoch Whipple and 
others for a highway from Allum Pond Hill to Pascoag, the 
Glocester Town Council appointed Joseph Eddy. Jonathan 
Harris and Thomas Herendeen. a committee to lay out the road 
and report. On October 19th of the same year, the return of the 
highway was accepted. The highway leading l)y the Sanatorium 
buildings was built shortly before June, 1793, when it is men- 
tioned in an old deed as a new road. Randall Angell said that 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 29 

previously there had been a cart path from Ballard's mill past 
his house to Pascoag over much the same course as the present 
highway. Before Burrillville was set off from Glocester, Courts 
and Town meetings were sometimes held in the Smith Greene 
house. (First one on the back road to the Putnam pike.)^ 
TJic Revolution. 
On September 19, 1776, the Town Council sought to 
encourage enlistments for the protection of Newport liy offering 
3 pounds as a bonus in addition to the regular pay given the 
State troops and by promising to replace the firearms furnished 
by each soldier if it should be taken from him by a stronger 
power. A record of the meeting of the Town Council on May 
5th, 1777, shows that the State draught included the following 
land-owners of the Allum Pond neighborhood : Ezra Stone. 
Jeremiah Ballard, Jethro Lapham, John Rowland, Jr., James 
Stone and Thomas Herendeen., who were to serve under Col. 
Chad Brown. 

TJic Jen lies. 

Timothy Jenne of Uxbridge, Mass., bought Ballard's sawmill, 
gristmill and other property Sept. 30, 1778. During the next 
few years Jenne cleared the land on his farm, the extent of this 
clearing being greater than is indicated by the present open 
space about the Sanatorium buildings. The land west of the 
present buildings was used as a pasture about half way to the 
Lake, the cattle using the spring just below the West Ward. 
The pine grove l)etween the Sanatorium buildings and the 
Superintendent's cottage and the one south of the sewage plant 
have gradually grown up since 1858. In 1786, Timothy Jenne's 
brother, Seth. a carpenter, came to Allum Pond and bought SSy, 
acres of the southern part of the Jenne farm. During the same 
year the Jenne brothers built a dam and mill at the lowest mill 
privilege which was on Seth's land and but a stone's throw east 
of the present boiler house. This mill privilege was soon sold in 
shares often as small as sixteenths to John Rowland, John Kim- 
ball, Daniel Hunt and others, who sold it back and forth to each 
other with bewildering frequency. Many owners probably sold 

1 Mrs. George Sly so quoted her father in a statement to the writer. 



30 THE JENNES 

their shares as soon as they had got out what himber they wished 
for their own Ijuildings. Timothy Jenne sold the Ballard mills 
and dwelling house to Chad Field, who immediately sold it to 
Jacob Lathrop and Seth Hayward. In order to safeguard the 
lower mill privilege, Jenne, five days later, bought Ijack from 
Field a limited privilege couched in the following language: "I 
Chad Field etc., do grant to Seth & Timothy Jenne a privilege 
to draw water through my grist mill dam to su])port a sawmill 
at all times when the water is above the lower i)art of the letter 
T on the north side of a rock at the upper end and south side of 
the South ditch where the water runs from Allum Pond to my 
grist mill and I do bind myself to keep a gate sufficient in my 
gristmill dam to dam water as above mentioned — I bind myself 
not to turn the water out of the place where it now runs to the 
sawmill except what water the mill makes use of to water his 
land, — and I do grant a privilege to turn the water out of my 
grist mill ])ond to water his land sufficiently 2 nights in a week 
and no more from the 15th day of the 4th month to the 15th day 
of the 7th month." A natural outlet to the pond was the north 
ditch which led l)v a gradual descent throtigh a swam]) back of 
the place which is now O'Neil's Camp. This outlet was not suit- 
able for the development of water power and was stopped by an 
artificial eml)ankment plainlv visil)le from the i^ond at this da}'. 
During high water the overflow is still sufficient to fill this brook. 
On June 5, 1793. Timothy Jenne bought back from Seth Jenne 
about an acre of land a few rods below the lower sawmill as a 
site for a fulling mill, but there is no evidence that this mill was 
ever built. Timothy, or possibly his brother, built a new house 
near the site of the first Sanatorium barn, the cellar hole of 
which was still to be seen when the Sanatorium opened in 1*'05. 
This house had disapj^eared before 1840, according to old resi- 
dents. Timothy Jenne probably died abottt 1812. and with his 
wife, Abigail, and some of his seven children, were said to have 
l)cen buried in the little burying ground which was located under 
the site of the Sanatorium Fast \\\'ird\ Some of the old head 



1 Statcnunt \o the writer by Setli Darling, Micliacl McDcrmott and 
otliers. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 31 

stones were marked Jenne and skeletons were exhumed during 
the excavation for the foundation of this building. William 
Green claimed that a burial took place there as late as 1850. 
Jacob Jenne, Timothy's son, married Thos. Howland's daughter, 
Dorcas, who lived to be over 100 years old. It is of some inter- 
est to know that an inventory of Jacob Jenne's goods at his death 
in 1816, showed 1 bushel of corn and 25 bushels of rye but no 
wheat and that Dorcas had 13 pewter plates valued at $1.50 
each, 9 pewter spoons, 3 pewter platters, a pair of weaving 
looms and warping bars. They kept 2 cows, a pair of oxen, a 
pig and 2 geese. 

The King Place 
James King bought the place where the Sanatorium garden is 
now located, of Hoziel Hopkins, Feb. 5, 1793. The old house 
was a few feet west of the present cellar hole and the barn a 
little farther west. Hopkins and King cleared the land to the 
southward about half the way to the Buck Hill road. Either 
Hopkins or King cleared and drained the large swamp to the 
westward where the cranberry bog is now located by ditching 
the swamp itself and also by turning the little l)rook, which 
enters the south end of the cranberry bog, eastward across the 
present Sanatorium garden^ and the highway so that this water 
reached Clear River without entering the swamp or the i)ond. 
The swamp was then cultivated and was very fertile. Samuel 
White is quoted as saying that it grew the biggest corn of any 
place in this vicinity. Consideral)le land was cleared east of the 
highway where the old apple trees may still l)e seen. At this 
time King kept a lot of stock, about 40 head, according to Levi 
Darling, and for many years he owned a share in and operated 
the lower sawmill opposite the present boiler house. He died on 
the old place, his will being probated Jan. 2. 1819. His wife. 
Hannah, and daughter. Keziah. probably lived there some time 
afterward, as his will provided that his son. James, should keep 
one cow and four sheep for each of them for the rest of their 
natural lives. James King, 2nd, lived in this vicinity until 1822, 



^ The ditch was visihle until filled hy ploughing a few years ago. 



32 THE AZARIAH PHILLIPS PLACE 

when he moved to Pennsylvania. The old King house^ probahly 
rotted down as there was rotten timber but no house there after 
1840. The farm came into the possession of Dr. Levi Eddy, 
King's son-in-law, who held it until his death in 1844. After 
passing through the hands of Stephen Arnold, and Enos La- 
pham. at one time Lieutenant-Governor of the State, the King 
place was bought by Benjamin Green. About 1852. Green built 
a new house somewhat nearer the road where the cellar hole may 
yet be seen. The well is still used by the Sanatorium farm 
employees. Green had a barn or shed about 100 feet to the 
north of his house. The Green house burned down while 
occupied by Edward Wells about 1893. His wife had left the 
place to carry her husband's dinner and returned to find it in 
flames. The Green barn was moved to Pascoag about this time. 
Whether cranberries vvere ])resent in the old bog before James 
King drained and converted it into a cornfield is unknown, but 
cranljerries were growing there by 1848'-. About 1860, Green 
built a dam high enough to flood the bog 3 or 4 feet to prevent 
the vines being frost killed. W. H. Green claimed that over 500 
bu. of cranberries were raised here in one season. 

The Aaariah Phillips Place. 
Azariah Phillips bought a few acres of land northeasterly of 
the present Sanborn house. Nov. 20. 1795. and built a small 
house. He was a cooper h\ trade and operated a lathe to get out 
his stock. He made fiddles, baskets, old-fashioned splint-l)ottom 
chairs and other furnishings. Azariah Phillips died shortly 
before Jan. 19, 1837, at which time his will was probated. His 
widow afterward kept house for Randall Angell and while 
picking up chi])s was killed by a buck sheep. Benjamin Sweet 
afterward lived in this house, and still later it was occupied by 
negroes. The house was taken down by Benjamin Green about 
1850. when ready to collapse. 



^ Statement to the writer by Seth Darling, Win. Green and others. 
- Thos. Green to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 33 

First Cotton Mill. 
Bani Phillips bought the old Ballard gristmill of Hayward 
and Lathrop, Sept. 20, 1804, and Jan. 25, 1805. respectively, 
and soon after built a small cotton mill on this site. The exact 
date of the building of the mill is not known but must have been 
before Oct. 12, 1812, when he sold it fully equipped. During 
the next 1 1 years this mill was owned in whole or in part by 
Jeremiah, David, Robert, Harley, and Ostrander Phillips and 
George Lindley, who bought and sold it to each other until in 
December, 1819, the Court of Common Pleas was called upon 
to unravel the tangle. The sawmill and gristmill were located 
just west of the highway bridge over Clear River, and the old 
Ballard house was a little northwest of the bridge. Only the 
central part of the house now owned by Sylvester Angell, just 
southwest of the bridge, was then in existence, the ells having 
been built later. All these buildings were awarded to David 
Phillips with the exception of one-half of the house southwest 
of the bridge, which, with the Howland farm, was set oft" to 
Jeremiah Phillips and George Lindley, July 28, 1820. Harley 
Phillips later got possession and sold to Peleg Walker, who died 
soon after he bought it. 

David IVilkinson^. 

David Wilkinson, a manufacturer, of North Providence, 
bought the cotton mill and other mills June 30, 1822, the price 
named being $4,150. The cotton mill burned down some time 
before June 15, 1825, when he sold the water rights of Allum 
Pond to the Blackstone Canal Company. The company bought 
with the idea of storing the flood water and using it as a feeder 
for the canal. Clear River being a tributary of the Blackstone. 
Wilkinson stipulated that all the water drawn from the pond 
should pass through the flume of his mill and that the flood 
water reserved should be drawn off each year before Jan. 1st. 
After the burning of his cotton mill, David \\'ilkinson bought 



1 The writer is uncertain whether this David Wilkinson was the 
David Wilkinson who invented a sliding lathe, and whose sister became 
the wife of Samuel Slater. 



34 THE SECOND COTTON MILL 

various properties of both wood and impru\-ed lands al)Out 
Allum Pond. He owned and operated both sawmills and carried 
on lumbering operations and charcoal luirning on an extensive 
scale. He built a wood road leading from the mill southwesterly 
to the Buck Hill road. This road leads to a peat bog about a 
mile from the Sanatorium. On this road there were formerly at 
least two houses where people made hoops\ 

The Second Cotton Mill. 
Wilkinson became involved in del)t and John ^^d^ipple, as 
assignee for his estate, sold the entire Allum Pond property on 
May 7, 1831. to Levi Darling and others for $2,000.00. Darling 
moved his family into the old Phillips house, added on the two 
ells and planted the three maple trees in the front yard which 
are there to-day. About 1835. Darling built a shingle mill on 
the site of the old cotton mill. \\'hen the second cotton mill was 
built the shingle mill was taken down. The firm of Sweet and 
James ( Philip Sweet and Albert G. James) leased the upper 
mill privileges from the Darlings, Aug. 3, 1844. Levi Darling 
built a new dam on the site of the old one just back of his house, 
where it may still be seen. The dam and gate at the outlet of 
the lake were raised and the old log dam at the north outlet was 
also raised and strengthened. Darling liuilt a two-story frame 
building 50 feet long by ?)7 feet wide for the factory and 
installed a water wheel 18 feet in diameter. He also built a cot- 
ton house and sizing house. Albert James sold his interest in 
the firm, .Sept. 11, 1845, to Lovell Parker and Joseph Bowdish 
(1810-1900) and the next spring ( May 1, 1846) Ste])hen Tall- 
man replaced Parker and Bowdish. The cotton was drawn 
from Providence and the cloth sold there to Amos D. Lockwood 
& Co., who received a 5 ])er cent commission on all goods bought 
and sold. Sweet and Tallman complained that the water power 
was insufficient, and this must have been true because of the 
low ele\ation of tin' mill ])ond. The mill em])loved about 2S 
persons and created a demand for more house room for o])era- 

'■ Svlvcstor AiiKrll to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 35 

tives. In the summer of 1845. Daniel Kimhall built a dwelling 
house about 50 feet to the west of the highway and almost 
directly in front of the present location of the Superintendent's 
cottage, on land owned by his mother, Serina Kimball. His 
wife, Eliza, for several years kept boarders who worked in the 
mill. That same summer, Abel Robbins bought a half acre lot 
extending both sides of the highway near the road which now 
enters the rear of the Sanatorium Ijuildings and built a two- 
tenement house. Part of the excavation for the first Sanatorium 
barn was in the cellar of the Robbins house. The old Timothy 
Jenne house was located but a few feet farther to the northwest. 
This house had been gone sometime when the Robbins house 
was built. Abel Robbins' son, Gilbert, who afterward became 
Mayor of Providence, lived here. This same year, Levi Darling 
moved the Jenne house which stood on the knoll south of the 
Sanatorium tennis court to its present position as the Wallum 
Lake Store. After it was moved, this house formed the south 
end of the upper story of the present house, the north end and 
basement being new\ DarHng also built a small store at the 
turn of the road, about 20 yards north of the bridge over Clear 
River. The old Ballard house was still used as a tenement and 
a blacksmith shop was built near the store. April 2. 1847, Tall- 
man and Sweet sold the machinery of the mill to Benedict 
Lapham for $481. The list of machinery shows that there were 
64 spindles. 

The Laphams Arc Balked. 
Benedict Lapham obtained a five-year lease from the Darlings 
on August 14th of the same year. Enos Lapham, wdio after- 
ward became Lieutenant-Governor of the State, was overseer in 
this mill. For over four years, the Laphams ran the mill suc- 
cessfully. They then endeavored to buy out Darling and thus 
obtain complete control of the water privilege with the intention 
of developing an extensive manufacturing plant. Had this hap- 
pened, the mills would probably have been located near the lower 



- Seth Darling (1829-1907) to writer. 



36 THE WOOLEN MILL 

water privileges, as the two upper privilges were too near the 
level of Wallum Pond to allow of the power being fully devel- 
oped or economically used. It is said on good authority that a 
deed conveying the whole Darling property to Lapham was 
drawn and signed by both Darling and Lapham and that it was 
rendered void by the refusal of Hannah Darling to sign unless 
she received an additional $500 for herself. Whatever reason 
]\Irs. Darling may have had for her action, her refusal to sign 
the deed was a turning point in history, for had the Laphams 
acquired the property, their business ability, influence and money 
would probably have resulted in the development of a manufac- 
turing village at Wallum Pond. 

Tlic Woolen Mill. 
After the departure of the Laphams, Darling leased the fac- 
tory to George W. Marsh, Augustus Hopkins, \\'alling & Hop- 
kins and Syria Sherman. After this firm gave up, another firm 
tried to run it as a woolen mill but lasted only about six months. 
After several sales, mortgages, etc., to Marsh and others, 
Edward H. Marsh, on July 31, 1860. sold all the w^ater rights to 
the outlet of Wallum Pond, the price named being $7,500, and 
the control of the outlet has been held by Bridgeton manufac- 
turers ever sin'.e. The mill was afterward taken down and 
moved to Manchaug, Mass., where it was used in the constrvic- 
tion of a milP. The store was also moved to the same place, 
where it was converted into a dwelling house. The little house 
above the factory, built by Ballard, which had been used as a 
dwelling by Benjamin Greene, was used for an ice house until 
1880, when it was taken down. The Robbins house was bought 
and moved to Mapleville by Daniel Kimball. Kimball's house 
was moved to Pascoag, where it still stands near the shop of the 
Inman Lumber Company. The cellars of the Kiml)all, Robbins 
and Jenne houses were filled in 1906. Daniel Kimball's barn, 
the foundation of which is still visible about 200 feet north of 
the Sanatorium Laundry on the same side of the highway, was 



1 William Gwvn ( 1S41- ) to writer. 




A WALLUM POND BOY WHO BECAME MAYOR OF PROVIDENCE IN 1887 




FNOS LAPHAM 

A WALLUM POND MILL SUPERINTENDENT 

WHO BECAME LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND IN 1888 

Cotirtesy of Providence Journal 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES Z7 

moved to Centredale about 1880 by Edward Sayles. Levi Dar- 
ling sold all his Wallum Pond property, Nov. 9, 1863, to Seth 
Ross and Sylvester Angell and moved to Douglas, ]\Iass. In 
March, 1868, Sylvester Angell bought out Ross and thus became 
sole ov^rner. 

The Civil War. 
The boys from Wallum Pond neighborhood who fought to 
save the Union were : Alfred Angell, Sabin Angell. Olney 
Arnold, Amasa Buxton, Thomas Greene, William Greene, Ben- 
jamin Horton, Jerome Horton, Andrew Rowland, James Riley, 
Mowry Salisbury, Judson \\^adkins, John Friery, Wellington 
Daw, James M. Vickers and Emory WHiite. James Riley was 
wounded at Fredericksburg, and Amasa Buxton and Jerome 
Horton died in the service. W^hen the boys returned they 
noticed a striking change, as the mill and many of the dwellings 
had been moved away. 

The Pond Traditions. 

A dugout boat with carving believed to have been made by 
Indians, was seen by Ezra Stone. 2nd\ when a young man. 
Joseph Bowdish found and raised a sunken dugout boat and 
used it for carrying charcoal across the Pond". A dugout boat 
was also seen liy Daniel Buxton- and others. Sylvester AngelP 
found and used an old dugout boat many years ago which 
showed no trace of Indian workmanship. Quite possibly, all 
these men saw the same boat, which might have been preserved 
almost indefinitely if sunk. It had been cut out with an axe or 
similar tool. If made by the Indians, it must have been in later 
years after acquiring white men's too's. It is much more likely 
that it was made bv the early settlers before the first sawmill in 
1766. 

The pond is, for the most part, spring fed, so that a swimmer 
notices many cold spots. It is from 30 to 50 feet deep in most 



1 Wm. Kimball to writer. 
- Thomas O'Neil to writer. 
3 Statement to writer. 



38 THE POND TRADITIONS 

places, and. in the middie, north of Long Cove, soundings have 
been made 79 feet lielow high water. A small brook which 
drains the cranberry bog enters the south cove ; another enters 
the north end ; and in high water, two tiny streams enter on the 
west and one on the east side. 

The beach at the north end has exceptionally sharp sand 
which, as late as 60 years ago was used in making rifles used in 
sharpening" scythes^. 

Before 1850. a man by the name of Nathan Stone was 
drowned just off the big rock where the Sanatorium water 
intake pipe is at present located'-. He had gone out after wild 
geese and the ice broke under him. Still earlier, a fisherman 
fell from an old scow that had been used to carry logs across 
the pond to the mills, and was drowned-. Francis Whiting, a 
boy 10 or 12 years old, while bathing at the north end, 
stepped into a hole and drowned. The Lime Rock Fishing Club, 
which rented the house north of the Superintendent's Cottage, 
lost one of its members by drowning sometime after 1893. The 
man was trying to pick up a fish hook and line which had caught 
on the bottom. Pickerel and perch fishing were very good up 
to the time the lake was stocked with bass, which was sometime 
about 1860. 

When Daniel Kimball was fishing through the ice in Long 
Cove one time'', the ice separated and left open water between 
him and the shore. He was obliged to wait until sometime after 
dark, when the ice cake drifted ashore at the mouth of the cove. 

While the mill was running well under the Laphams, Parker 
Bowdish and other emplovees had a small sail boat. !Many ok! 
people say that Caleb Eldridge swam the whole length of the 
pond in a race in which his opponent was unable to finish. His 
name appears on an old deed in 1799. Some time al)out 1880, 
a panther escaped from a circus in \\'ebster and was seen occa- 
sionally in the Douglas woods for over a year. Wild i)igeons 
were plentiful here as elsewhere and were killed as late as Levi 



^ Scth Ross to writer. 

' Mr. and Mrs. Seth Darling to writer. 

•'' Sylvester Angcll to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 39 

Darling's time. Foxes, coons and rabbits are still numerous to 
the southwest of the pond. Otter and mink were present in 
W'allum Pond many years ago^ and probably are still present. 
In the old days, there were beaver on Clear River near Wilson's 
Pond". Horace Whiting caught an otter in the Whiting Pond 
in the Buck Hill district about 1895. an occasional mink, the 
last one in the Lewis Brook in 1920. and, during the last 30 
years, has shot 89 foxes, most of them in the Buck Hill woods. 
A rattlesnake was killed in the woods south of the tennis court 
since I860''. 

The pine grove back of the Superintendent's cottage used to 
be a ball ground when the mill was running. On the west shore 
of the pond, near the north end. is a clay deposit which was used 
in the old days for making brick. The brick yard was located 
near the Providence Ice Company's house, where, until recently, 
traces of brick could be found. The chimney brick in many of 
the old houses of this vicinity came from this yard. These brick 
were small, irregular and very hard. The brick yard was alian- 
doned, perhaps, before 1800. 

TJic Sanborn House. 
Stephen Collins, whfi worked a long time for Levi Darling, 
built a small house on the hill south of the Sanatorium, having 
bought the land of Darling April 17, 1840. Collins sold to 
Mason W. Porter, a shoemaker, March 6, 1854. Porter sold 
Nov. 8, 1858, to an Englishman by the name of Wm. Prince, 
who was a woodchopper and who lived there with his wife and 
daughter until the property was bought by Thomas AI. Green. 
April 12, 1862. Green tore down the Collins house and rebuilt 
it with lumber obtained from the old cotton house in 1868. He 
worked in the Hopkins Machine Works and finally sold out to 
Hopkins & Co., April 6, 1898. Morton C. Sanl)orn, the care- 
taker of the Sanatorium buildings while they were under con- 
struction, bought the place July 28, 1905, shortly lie fore the 



1 Judson Wadkins to writer. 

- Randall Angell to Sylvester Angell to writer. 

3 William Green to writer. 



40 THE TWO LOWER MILL PRIVILEGES 

Sanatorium opened. He put the buildings in repair and it has 
been rented to Sanatorium employees ever since. 

The Two Loiver Mill Privileges. 
About 1820, a turning lathe was in operation just below the 
Clear River bridge. The middle mill privilege near the present 
swimming pool was developed about 1844, the sawmill and grist- 
mill which had been at the upper privilege having been moved 
here to make room for the second cotton factory. The mills 
were close together so that one could step from one to the other, 
the grist mill being on the east and the sawmill on the west side 
of the dam. These mills had an advantage over most of the 
mills dependent on water power, as there was a large reserve of 
water in W^allum Pond. During dry spells, the old gristmill was 
often run both night and day, and corn has many times been 
brought out here from Providence for grinding. Svlvester 
Angell put in the first iron water wheel and the first circular 
saw, wooden wheels and up and down saws having been used 
previously. The gristmill was closed about 1867 and a cider 
mill installed in its place. Mr. Angell continued to operate the 
sawmill occasionally until it burned in January, 1907. It had 
been necessary in the old days to have two mill privileges, as 
there was such a demand for both grinding corn and sawing 
lumber, but, as the demand lessened, the lower mill opposite the 
Sanatorium boiler house was allowed to rot down, which 
occurred before 1845. The upper mill pond was formerly used 
for skating, as it froze over much earlier than W'allum Pond. 

The Adam White Road. 
Opposite the entrance to the driveway approaching the front 
of the Sanatorium is an old wood road leading eastward through 
the pine grove across Clear River and over the railroad to the 
east road from Wallum Pond Hill to Pascoag. This wood road 
was formerly a highway, having been laid out June 27, 1812\ 
and abandoned before 1840. Between the railroad and the east 
highway, was the Adam White farm, formerly l)elonging to 



1 Burrillvillc Tdwn Covmcil Records, Vol. 1. page 30. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 41 

William Clark. The house at the junction of this road with the 
east highway belonged to Samuel ^\'hite. This house was burned 
by a forest fire, about 1910, and the barn removed in 1920. 
Samuel White hired and boarded women who worked hand 
looms in the basement of his house, the yarn being obtained from 
mills in the vicinity. In excavating for the cellar of his house, a 
skeleton was exhumed which tradition says was of a man of un- 
usual height. In the old days, a cart path^ led northerly from the 
Adam White place along a low ridge coming out near George 
Stone's tannery. A house on this path was at one time occupied 
by Asahel Alger. 

A Cure ill Early Times. 
In view of the later development of a health centre at A\'allum 
Pond, it is of interest to learn of a consumptive treated in this 
vicinity in 1850. Ara Paine-, then a boy of 14, after about three 
years of cough, expectoration, blood-spitting and other symp- 
toms, was given up as a hopeless consumptive by his physician. 
Hisgrandmother. Prudence (1772-1851 ), wife of the Rev. Moab 
Paine, received him into her home, about two miles easterly of 
the Sanatorium, and not only cheered, rested and fed him well, 
as grandmothers are wont to do, but removed the two large 
windows from his bedroom that he might have the open air, 
night and da}'. Several months of this regimen started him on 
the road to health which has lasted through his 50 years in the 
practice of medicine and still persists after 71 years have passed 
away. 

The Peters Place. 
In going from W'allum Pond toward Pascoag in P)05. one 
passed through about two miles of woodland, much of which 
had been cleared by the old settlers, and which had since grown 
up to woods. The Sanatorium, in making its garden, had cleared 
about 10 acres of woodland west of the highway near the old 
King or Green place, while the opposite side of the road is to-day 



^ Sylvester Angell to writer. 
- Dr. Ara Paine to writer. 



42 THE SCOTT TRAGEDY 

woodland, where once there was meadow and orchard. About 
1,500 feet beyond the King cellar hole on the left hand side of 
the road, is an apple tree. This tree was so straight and hand- 
some a shoot, about 55 years ago, that Seth Ross bought it for 
50 cents, intending to set it out in his orchard and graft it ; ])Ut 
he postponed action until it was finally too large to transplant. 
This apple tree is near the cellar of the Peters house. Israel 
Peters (1788-1872), who lived here in 1827, built for the town 
the road over Buck Hill where there had been previously only 
a cart path. He afterward moved to East Boston, Conn. Rossel 
Burlingame bought the place in 1833 and lived here for a time. 
There was then an orchard, clover lot and pasture on the east 
side of the road. The buildings on this place which were stand- 
ing in 1835^ were gone before 1840. 

The Scott Tragedy. 
James Scott, an Irishman, cleared a patch of land on the west 
side of the Wallum Pond road at its junction with the Buck Hill 
road and built a shanty, where he usually lived alone, about 1856. 
He kept two cows, a pig, and a big black dog. He walked to and 
from his place of work in the White Mill, at Bridgeton, drank 
hard and had the reputation of being quarrelsome when intoxi- 
cated. He was missing one winter night and no trace of him was 
found until the ice broke up the next spring, when his body was 
found in Wilson's Pond. Although certain persons were sus- 
pected of foul play, no official action was ever taken. The Scott 
cabin was afterward taken to Chepachet by Jol) Smith. 

The Wells Place. 
A few rods before reaching the Buck Hill corner, a road on 
the left leads through the woods to the Wells place. Rossel 
Burlingame bought this farm of Levi Eddy, Oct. 11, 1834. 
Arnold Hunt and Dennis Hunt bought it in 1838, and. in 1839. 
sold to Silas and William Howard. Amasa Seamans, who had 
a wooden leg, bought it, Jan. 5. 1842, and lived there with a 
large family for many years. Seamans also owned the Israel 



^ Scth Ross to writer. 




ALEX, ritchip: house 




ALFRED L. WELLS HOUSE 




OLNEY ANGELL HOUSE 




THE RED HOUSE 




THE SANBORN HOUSE 




O'NEILL'S CAMP 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 43 

Peters place. He sold out to go to Minnesota, and Esten Angell 
(1809-1889), who had hought out the Seamans, sold to Alfred 
L. ^^'ells, Sept. 23, 1869. Wells and wife were living on this 
place up to ahout 1910. Since their death. Henry Johnson, who 
was a slave in Virginia hefore the Civil War, has occupied the 
house. In spite of his 84 years, he has few gray hairs, all his 
natural teeth, and is able to cut cord wood and enjoy life in a 
way which astonishes younger folks. 

The IF hip pic Angell Place. 
Continuing on the highway toward Pascoag about 500 feet 
beyond the Buck Hill Road, is a sharp turn to the right. On the 
east side of this turn, was a house which Whipple Angell (1793- 
1862) bought of James Stone, May 23, 1829. There vv-ere seven 
acres of cleared land about this place. Angell never lived here 
but rented it to negroes and others. The barn belonging to this 
farm was carried to Marieville, North Providence, where it was 
still standing a few years ago. \n old road led easterly near 
this house across Clear River to the East Highway, thus giving 
a short cut for the Round Top folks to go over Buck Hill. This 
highway was abandoned by the town, May 20, 1809\ This place 
had so completely grown up to woods that lumljer was cut here, 
about 1910. 

The Chase Lot. 
A few rods further on and easterly of the highway, al)uut 100 
feet north of Round Pond brook, was the house owned by 
Joseph and Ambrose Chase and later by other members of the 
Chase family from 1812 to 1825-.. The land was cleared quite 
extensively east of the road as shown l)v the stone walls and 
stone heaps. This farm had an orchard to the east side and 
woodland on the west of the road. The place was sold to Duty 
Esten, April 2, 1833. Asahel Alger built another house on this 



1 Records of the Burrillville Town Council, Vol I. 

- The writer is uncertain whether this was a relative of, or the same 
Dr. Jos. Chase of Cumberland, who bought Elizabeth Gibbs' share of Dr. 
Gibbs' estate from James Burroughs, March 5, 1771. 



44 THE PORTER PLACE 

site aljout 1860. There is a maple tree about 15 inches in diam- 
eter (1920) growing from the cellar. 

The next farm below the Chase lot had been originally laid 
out in the right of Stephen Dexter, Imt was cleared and occupied 
In- Randall Angell (1767-1855), who kept a hotel there at one 
time. 

The Porter Place. 
In going from ^^'allum Pond toward Thompson, a few rods 
after turning into the Ikick Hill Road, one passes Daniel Por- 
ter's old place. He l)ought 13 acres of land of Amasa Seamans, 
August 24, 1850. He was sometimes called Doctor and was 
said to have had a plentiful supply of pills, but is not known to 
have practiced here. He worked some at shoemaking ; his son, 
Alason W., was also a shoemaker and later lived at the Sanborn 
house. Porter cleared some of the land on both sides of the 
road, dug the well and built the stone walls which are there 
to-da_\-. \\\ digging his well, he found some clear pieces of 
quartz which were said to have been hard enough to cut glass a 
few times and which he thought were diamonds, a circumstance 
tliat i^rovoked enough neighborhood gossip and amusement to 
l;e remembered by the old timers. Nearly opposite this place is 
a wood road leading southwesterly to Round Pond. In 1855, 
Porter bought the Samuel Cruff farm and m^ved away. 

The Ward Place. 
On the northerly side of the Buck Hill road about a third of 
a mile westerly of its junction with the Sanatorium road near a 
large flat stone l)y a liar way is an old cellar and well. This has 
always been called the Ward Place, from Eugene, Hiram, and 
Win. Ward, who lived there at one time. The only interesting 
thing known about the Ward Place is how it came to end'. It 
was last occu])ied. about 1842, by Indians and negroes, who were 
guilty of various acts of mischief, including the throwing of a 
luill down the well. They did not move when Randall .\ngell, 
the owner, ordered them out, but, somewhat later, went down to 

' Statcmcnl in writer hv Win. R. An.^cll and (ithers. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 45 

the sea shore for the summer. One night, Randall's son, Esten, 
and two neighhors, Hawkins and Ross, went to the Ward house. 
A few hours sawing of the heams made the old house collapse, 
and they returned to hed. When, the next day, a neighhor told 
Randall that the Ward house was flat, the latter appeared sur- 
prised and indignant. The lumher of this house went into Ran- 
dall Angell's cattle shed. 

The Twist Place. 
About half way between the Ward Place and the top of Buck 
Hill, on the north side of the highway, is the cellar of a house 
once occupied by Asa Twist. The house was probably there 
in 1806 on the separation of Burrillville from Glocester, as it is 
named in the Ijurrillville school records as a dividing line be- 
tween Wallum Pond and Buck Hill districts and it had probaljly 
disappeared before 1819, as it was not remembered by Esten 
AngelP. 

The Trask Place. 
One who ascends Buck Hill from the east and sees the masses 
of boulders which almost cover the ground can but marvel at 
the courage of one who would attempt to clear land and build a 
house there. Yet we find a good foundation and cellar a few 
feet from the north side of the road at the foot of the last pitch, 
and partly cleared land to the northward. William Trask, who 
claimed to have been a veteran of the War of 1812 and who 
lived to be 107 years old, owned this place as early as 1826; the 
house was gone and the place grown up to weeds before 1850. 

Round Pond. 
This pond, having an area of about 50 acres, lies deep in the 
woods about a mile and a half southwest of Wallum Pond and 
half a mile south of the Buck Hill road. The outlet on the east 
side has been deepened to allow the pond to be drawn down a 
little. According to Keech, friendly ^Mohawks trapped otter on 
Round Pond brook in the old days. On the northerly side of 



^ Wm. R. Ans:ell to writer. 



46 ROUND POND 




ROUND POND 

the Pond, al)out 200 feet from the shore, is a l)oulcler of about 
12 feet in heighth and breadth, against which we are told a gang 
of counterfeiters once buiU their work hut. The chimney of this 
cabin was still standing 50 years ago, but now only the fireplace 
remains. On the northeasterly side of the Pond, near a large 
flat ledge, is a swampy ravine about 300 feet wide running 
northeasterly. The rocky ridge on the southern side of this 
ravine terminates about 1,000 feet from the pond at "Aloney 
Rocks." This small rocky cavern, in which tradition^ says the 
counterfeiters hid their tools and money is entered from above 
through a triangular opening, measuring" 34 by 38 l)y 49 inches. 
The cave is large enough to hold two or three men, but is not 
high enough to allow one to stand erect. Formerly the opening 
could be completely closed by a triangular flat stone which had 
been displaced from and which nicely fitted the aperture, but the 
opening has l)een enlarged in recent years by the action of the 
weather. It has always been believed that the tools and other 
incriminating evidences of their work were thrown into the 
Pond when the nature of the work was suspected. In his his- 
tory of Iku-rillville, Keech gives an interesting account of the 
detection and trial of these counterfeiters. He states that one of 
the counterfeiters became intoxicated at Brandv Hill Tavern in 



1 Wm. R. Aiiiicll was sIkuvii Money Rocks by his grandfather, Esten 
Angell, and tlie latter l)y his fatlier, Randall Angell. 




.•^ 



THE COUNTERFEITERS DEN 




vS;' V^>>.- 






g^- ,, gp 



A COUNTERFEITERS DIE 




COON CAVE 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 47 

Thompson and passed so much new counterfeit money as to 
arouse suspicion, which lead to his arrest. Among the suspected 
were Arnold Hunt and Zadoc Sherman (1783-1870), the latter, 
as a boy of 12, caught the men at their work^ and was admitted 
to the gang to induce him to hold his tongue. There is a tradi- 
tion that Arnold Hunt was put on trial for counterfeiting. No 
convictions were ever made, according to Keech. because it 
involved too many prominent people, some of whom were related 
to the Judge. There is good reason for thinking that part of 
their dies and other tools were made by Arnold Sayles (1773- 
1860), who was a very able workman. The writer has seen 
some of the tools which Sayles is alleged to have made for these 
counterfeiters. One of these dies made for a coin about the 
size of a cjitarter is inscribed "Carlos III Dei Gratia 1789." 
These cotuiterfeit operations had previously ])een carried on in 
Thompson. The coimterfeiting at Round Pond covered a con- 
siderable period from about 1786 to 1795. Spanish money was 
counterfeited l)ecause it was in common use. A tradition per- 
sists that some of the dies were made in Canada and that some 
of the cotuiterfeit money was ptit in circulation in that country. 
On the south side of this pond, a short distance from the shore, 
is the cellar of the Stanfield housL'. Several acres had once been 
cleared al)out it. Al)out 1840, a man l)v the name of Robbins 
cleared tip several acres on the southeast shore, built a ca])in and 
lived there with his family-. He burned charcoal and carted it 
to Providence for sale. The Robbins cabin was a wreck by 
1850, but the cellar and stone heaps can be plainly seen to-day in 
the thick woods where one would little expect them. 

The Buck Hill U'oods. 

The Btick Hill \\\:)ods is a wilderness of ridges and hills, 
thickly strewn with boulders and covered with scrub oak, broken 
by occasional high black oak or scrtib pine stumps which have 
been charred bv forest fires. The wood road, leading westerlv 



^ Zadoc Sherman to Barton Jacobs to writer. 
- Sylvester Angell to writer. 



48 THE BUCK HILL WOODS 

from the present Sanatorium pig hotise. divides at the top of 
the first ridge, and the left hand fork, after two or three hun- 
dred yards, leads to a high ledge of rocks of unusual appearance 
and known from the earliest times as Badger Mountain. 
Whether the name came from a supposed resemhlance to a 
badger or l^ecause this animal was at one time found there is 
not known. The wood road continues southwesterly al^out half 
a mile bevond Badger Mountain, where, in a depression of land. 
is a small pond about 200 feet long by 100 feet wide and 4 to 6 
feet deep. This pond is fed by springs and yet is apparently 
without an outlet or running off brook. The easterly side of the 
pond, about its middle, was the site of William R. Angell's steam 
sawmill, about 1903. Six or seven hundred feet northwesterly 
of this pond is Goat Rock, a ledge about 80 feet long, with a 
perpendicular face on the easterly side. 15 to 20 feet high. \\'hy 
it is called Goat Rock, no one seems to know. It might well have 
been called "coon rock," as it seems to have l)een a favorite 
resort for raccoons. At the foot of the northerly end of the 
Goat Rock is a l)rook which in the springtime, is, perhaps, half 
the size of Clear River, and this lirook is believed to drain the 
Angell sawmill pond by an underground passage. After flowing 
about 100 feet on the surface, in direction a little west of south- 
west, it disappears underground to reappear later on its way to 
join the Leeson Brook. 

On the Buck Hill highway, six-tenths of a mile southeasterly 
of Orrin Whiting's, one crosses a brook which flows southwest- 
ern- into Ouadick Reservoir in Thompson and in its lower 
course, in the Buck Hill district, is known as the Lewis P)rook. 
This brook is formed by the union of several small l)rooks which 
rise in the Buck Hill woods westerly and southwesterly of the 
Sanatorium. The Leeson Brook, so named from one Leeson. 
who man}- years ago had a house and clearing near it, may be 
considered the main l)r(i()k in the sense that it is the longest, rises 
about eight-tenths of a mile west of the southern end of Wallum 
Pond and flows southerly, receivmg branches from the east. 
About a third of a mile northerly of the I'.uck Hill road, a ])rook 
•enters from the east called the "I'oih'ng Spring IVook." Follow- 




SYLVESTER ANGELL (left^ SETH ROSS (right) IN 1921 




THE WALLUM LAKE STORE 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 49 

ing lip this Ijrook in an easterly direction, aljout half a mile 
through Boiling Spring Cedar Swamp, one comes to the Boiling 
Spring, a circular spring, perhaps 8 feet in diameter, where 
the water, which is cold, can he seen to rise or "boil" up from 
the ground. A pole can be stuck in the bottom of the spring 10 
or 15 feet, without reaching firm bottom. About 3C0 feet east- 
erly of this spring is a brook which comes from a swamp aliout 
20 rods northeasterly of the cellar hole of the William Trask 
house. In high water this Ijrook runs overground into the Boil- 
ing Spring, but at other times it is lost underground, probably 
reappearing in the Boiling Spring Brook. The Trask Swamp 
Brook is drv in summer, but, no matter how dry the weather, 
the Boiling Spring pours out a generous stream of water. Al^out 
half a mile northerly of Goat Rock Brook is another brook which 
runs southeasterly into Leeson Brook. This brook starts in a 
swamp about half a mile southwesterly of Wallum Pond, dis- 
appears for some distance, and then reappears in a spring of 
water, very cold from its underground journey and called Cold 
Spring Brook. Leeson Brook, like its tributaries, has a trick of 
disappearing in some places in the upper part of its course. 

Coon Cave lies about half a mile westerly of the southern end 
of Wallum Pond in a ledge of rocks about 50 feet long by 10 
feet high, facing the west. At the foot of the ledge is an open- 
ing in the rocks into wdiich a man can crawl about 15 feet. A 
torch shows man\- crevices and holes extending about 20 feet 
farther and large enough to form hiding places for animals. 
This small cave has been a favorite place for bats in summer 
time and many a coon and fox have here found safe retreat from 
hunters. On the westerly side of the ledge is a swampy pond 
hole about 200 feet long by 60 feet wide, filled with swamp 
huckleberry bushes of unusual height. This swamp drains 
northerly into a small pond of clear water of about the same 
size. A few rods westerly and in plain sight of this pond, is a 
prominent irregular ledge of rocks known as Rattlesnake Ledge. 
Over 50 years ago, Reuben Dudley spent 3 or 4 days about here 
catching rattlesnakes for a circus. The rattlesnakes were caught 
by pinning their heads to the ground with a forked stick and 



50 THE CLEAR RIVER RESERVOIR CO. 

then seizing the snakes and depositing them in a bag. Dudley' 
caught 20 rattlesnakes, for which he was paid $100. On the 
easterly side of the pond, by Rattlesnake Ledge, is the running- 
out or outlet brook, which, after the fashion of Buck Hill 
streams, runs underground for a consideral)le distance. The 
water, though out of sight, can be heard on its way to W'alkun 
Pond. The reason for the disappearance of the brooks in the 
Buck Hill woods is found in the enormous number of boulders 
so thickly piled together that in many places one may walk for 
long distances without touching earth. The water, falling sev- 
eral feet through the crevices between these lx)ulders, which, in 
some places have a thin covering of moss, leaf mould, or loam, 
is often lost to sight and hearing. 

Tlic Clear River Reservoir Co. 

The value of \\'allum Pond as a reservoir for the Bridgeton 
mills has always been considera1)le. These mill owners are said 
to have paid Darling to open his gates at the outlet of the pond 
until these outlet gates were finally bought by INIarsh and later. 
Sept. 18, I860, by Augustus Hopkins of Bridgeton. The Clear 
River Reservoir Co., a chartered corporation, afterward leased 
Wilson's Pond, Sept. 20, 1866, and raised the dam 7 feet, thus 
enlarging Wilson's Pond. They also built a new dam and gate 
and deepened the trench at the outlet of Wallum Pond so that 
the pond can be drawn four feet lower than before. The old 
log dam at the north outlet was replaced by one of stone. Their 
questional)le deed to flow the land al)0ut Wallum Pond to any 
height was never carried out. The right of the Clear River 
Reservoir Co. to sell and market ice was sold to Wm. E. Bowen. 
March 23. 1900. 

O'XeiVs Camp. 

This land was originally sold from b)hn Howland's farm and 
at one time l)elonged to Howland Kiml)all. The name of Xehe- 



1 In a newspaper account a few years before his deatli, it was stated 
that Dudley, w^lio frequently hunted in the Douglas and Buck Hill woods, 
had caught or killed 700 coons, 150 foxes, 21 otter, 67 rattlesnakes and 
250 swarms of wild bees. This statement is credited by reliable persons- 
who knew him. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 51 

miah Kimball, who formerly lived on this place, begins to appear 
in the deeds as early as 1815. He at first lived in a log hovise on 
the south side of the road\ After a i&w years, he built a frame 
house on the north side of the road, where the cellar hole is still 
readily seen. He married Cyrene. daughter of Israel Aldrich. a 
farmer on Wallum Pond Hill, and lived on the O'Neil place 
until his death in 1849. His wife lived here as late as 1860 and 
then lived in Mapleville with her son, Daniel. This house was 
bought ])}■ a man named Moore, who moved it to Pascoag for a 
fish market. Mrs. Kimball sold the place to James Dockery in 
1864. John Riley owned the place from 1872 until 1903, when 
it was bought by the Pascoag Fishing Club, so called. Thos. 
O'Neil and seven other men, each of whom owned two or three- 
twentieths of the property. The small cabin built in 1894 was 
replaced bv the present camp in 1903. ^Ir. O'Xeil, who con- 
ducted the place, gave clambakes and entertained fishermen and 
others. 

The Railroad. 
The origin of the Providence and Springfield Railroad, which 
was built to Pascoag in 1872-1873, was described to the writer 
by the late William Tinkham, the Harrisville manufacturer, who 
was President of this railroad, substantially as follows : — "The 
water furnishing insufficient power for the mills, we had 
burned wood largely up to 1872, when the wood was pretty well 
cut ofif and we were so far in the country that it was too expen- 
sive to haul coal over the road. I met Albert L. Sayles in the 
Arcade in Providence one day and said to him, A\'e must build 
a railroad up there, and we can't get on without it.' Mr. Sayles 
said, 'Yes, but we can't do it alone ; we must get someone to 
help." I went to my office and wrote an article for the Proz'i- 
deucc Journal, and Mr. Danielson, the editor, wrote an editorial. 
After one month's advertisement and agitation, we tried to sell 
stock and got $200,000 easily. The trains started to run in 
August, 1873." The plans for the extension from Pascoag to 

^ Mrs. Nehcmiah Kimball, Jr., to writer. 



52 • THE RED HOUSE ON THE HILL 

Southbridge. passing by the east and north sides of \\'aUum 
Pond, were made July 11, 1891, and most of the deeds of the 
property to the railroad for this extension were made in 1892 
and 1893. Service between Pascoag and Southbridge was dis- 
continued for a time but was recommenced after the erection 
of the State Sanatorium. The Providence to Southbridge line 
was sold to the New York, Xew Haven & Hartford Railroad 
Company Oct. 30, 1905, the sum named being $569,195. 

The Red House on the Hill. 

This house, near the southern end of Wallum Pond Hill with 
a commanding view toward Pascoag, was originally part of the 
Capt. John Whipple farm and later of the John Howland farm. 
It was subser|uently bought by the Phillipses, who owned the 
factory and who probably used it for their mill employees. On 
the division of the Phillips's mill estate by the court, Israel 
Aldrich bought this place. Dutee Logee once lived here. \Miile 
the mills were running, Daniel Kimball, Aldrich's grandson, had 
a good country store in this house, and, at one time, Sabin Mil- 
lard had a saloon with a bowling alle}- in the basement. Joseph 
Bowdish and Lovell Parker lived there for a time. Martin H. 
Smith sold the place to James Dockery, July 7, 1860. Dockery 
was a big Irishman who had a large family. There is a tradi- 
tion that there was once a distillery for moonshine corn whiskey 
in the woods about a half mile east of the Wallum Lake Station. 
In 1872 this place was sold to John Riley and .Alfred Angell 
(1841-1884), who lived there together until Riley bought out 
Angell. Riley sold to the Pascoag Fishing Club, so called. May 
7, 1903, from whom it was bought by Mr. Singleton. Since 
then, it has been for the most part unoccupied. The barn burned 
down about 1907. This place was considered as a site for the 
Sanatorium before the present site was purchased. 

Quarries. 

About a mile from the Wallum Lake Depot, toward Pascoag, 
on both sides of the railroad one sees where stone has been quar- 
ried. This work began almost immediateh- after the building of 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES DO 

the railroad. Henry Mathewson, of Providence, took a 50 years 
lease of six acres on the southwesterly side of the railroad. Sept. 
21, 1893. The land on the opposite side of the track was leased 
to John Leavet, who, until 1906, quarried stone there and also 
near the Providence Ice Company's spur track at the north end 
of the pond, where much Ijuilding stone had been obtained in the 
old days. The quarry near the ice house was in a ledge formerly 
called the Snake Den. This stone was said to be a granite good 
for foundations. l)Ut not good enough for monuments, as it con- 
tained mica which fell out and left pits. The granite used in 
the construction of the Boston Dry Dock was obtained from 
these quarries. 

The JJ'aUitni Pond School. 
In May, 1800, the Glocester Town Council appointed a com- 
mittee to divide the town into school districts. The \\'allum 
Pond district was No. 1 and extended south on the Connecticut 
line to Henry Pollock's, then eastward by the south side of 
James King's, about half a mile south of the Sanatorium, to 
Cyrus Logee's, about a mile northeasterly of the Sanatorium 
and then northward by Lippitt Eddy's to the Massachusetts line. 
Cyrus Logee^ was the first to be given a certificate to teach in the 
Wallum Pond district. The old schoolhouse stood on the nortli 
side of the east highway leading from \\'allum Pond Hill to Pas- 
coag and a little east of the highway leading from the Ezra Stone 
or Friery place to the first mentioned highway. When this 
schoolhouse became old and badly in need of repair, a new one 
was built in the triangular area where the road from Douglas 
meets the east road from Wallum Pond to Pascoag. about a 
quarter of a mile south of the present Singleton house. While 
it was natural that the factory people should prefer the new site, 
and Capt. Samuel White and the Logees, the old site, as being 
nearer to each neighborhood respectively, the bitterness of the 
quarrel over the two sites so near each other seems amusing at 
this date. About 1843-, the matter was compromised by moving 



1 Records of the Glocester Town Council. 

- Statement of Sylvester Angell, who saw the schoolhouse moved. 



54 GEORGE STONE 

the new schoolhouse half way hetween the two sites, where, on 
the side hill, it could hardly have been satisfactory to anyone. 
Most of the larger children worked while the mill was running, 
when the school sometimes declined in number to two or three 
pupils. During slack time at the factory because of shortage of 
water, etc., the number of pupils increased to about thirty. This 
school, with its rattling windows, many wasps, few children and 
a fifteen-year-old school teacher, made a bad impression on Ellen 
WakefiekP, in 1856. Sometime in the fifties, James Riley recalls 
seeing a man teacher named Kenyon deposited in the woodbox 
by Alfred Angell, Emory White and William Green. In later 
times, Burrillville changed the district to exclude the Buck Hill 
region and extended it southerly to include the A. S. Wells 
house. The school census shows the enrollment in later years 
to have been as follows: 1885, 11 ; 1886, 11 ; 1887, 9; 1888, 14; 
1889, 13; 1890, 13; 1891. 12; 1892, 9; 1893, 6. 

In early years the school was taught by Preserved Alger ; and 
in the early fifties, and probably earlier, by Emily King, whose 
efficiency is still a tradition. In the fifties and sixties, the school 
was taught by Sarah Wakefield, Mar}- Paine, Nancy Paine, 
Nancy Howland, Susan Page and Ellen Paine. In the early 
eighties by Grace Blake and Maria L. Ross. In the late eighties 
and nineties, some of the teachers were Lillian Bailey, Maggie 
Shea and Ella M. Thayer. The school was discontinued in 
April, 1893, because of the small number of pupils and the school 
house burned a few years afterward. 

George Stone. 

On the right hand side of the road running from the school- 
house corner to the Friery farm, there stood, in the old days, a 
large two-story gamljrel-roof house with two large barns, corn 
crib and orchard, owned by George Stone. Mr. Stone oj^erated 
a large cooper shop, wheelwright shop and blacksmith shop; 
which he bought of Ezra Stone May 17, 1803. On the o])posite 
side of the road was a horsepower cider mill, and at the school- 



^ Statement to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 55 

house corner on the south side of the road, near a good spring, 
were the tannery vats or tubs, parts of which were seen as late as 
1850. Mr. Stone's business had disappeared Ijefore 1840, the 
house standing perhaps until 1850. Many individuals of the 
Stone, Alger and neighboring families were buried in the Stone 
burying ground north of the George Stone house, near the 
Friery farm. 

The Jlgcrs. 

Two brothers, Joshua and Preserved Alger, at one time lived 
in a two-family house on the south side of the road, east of 
George Stone's corner. The house stood al)out opposite the 
recently disused highway leading to the Duty Logee place. In 
later years John Riley and James Riley lived there. Half of the 
house was torn down by the latter and the remainder took fire, 
from ashes left in a barrel, and burned\ Joshua Alger, who 
bought the old school-house which stood on the north side of the 
road, and east of the George Stone corner, built an addition to it 
and occupied it for some time. \Mien beyond repair, this house 
was torn down by Patrick Friery. 

Enoch AiigeU's Place. 
On the opposite side of the road from the Singleton house and 
a short distance southerly, was a small house and barn built by 
Ezra Stone for his son, Amos. The latter sold to Arnold Baker, 
who lived there in 1834. Baker's mortgage to Randall Angell 
was never paid, and the property passed through the hands of 
his son. Brown, to Brown's son^ Enoch (1832-1865). The lat- 
ter removed the foundation wall from one end of the house in 
excavating for a new addition, and a heavy wind storm tipped 
the house over and it was allowed to rot". Enoch Angell's only 
child and heir, Maria Angell Wood, sold the place to Mr. 
Singleton. 



1 James Riley to writer. 

- Statement to the writer by Sylvester Angell. who at one time owned 
the house. 



56 THE SINGLETON FARM 

IJie Singleton Farm. 
John Howland, a descendant of the John Rowland who came 
over on the Mayflower, carried on the farm after his purchase 
from Whipple in 1770 until 1802, when he sold to James Bur- 
lingame. Buffum Chase, a tanner, bought of Burlingame in 
1814. It is not unlikely that Chase conducted or worked in the 
old tannery. Chase defaulted a mortgage and gave possession 
to J film Arnold in 1819. Randall Angell bought the property 
with his son. Brown, in 1827, and the latter became sole owner 
in 1833 and lived there until his death. Brown Angell (1801- 
1878) was a successful farmer and one of the few in this neigh- 
l)orhoud who raised tobacco. His son, Luther, conducted the 
farm until his death. The farm was bought of the Angell heirs 
l)y William Green, a son-in-law of Brown Angell, who held it 
until his sale to James H. Singleton. About 200 yards south- 
westerly of the Singleton house is a small burying ground con- 
taining field stone monuments without names. 

Olucy AngcU's Place. 

This farm, the next one north of Singleton's, from which it is 
separated by the State line between Rhode Island and Massa- 
chusetts, was a part of the "Boston Men's" 1,900-acre tract pre- 
viously described. It was laid out to John Binning, whose only 
child and heir, Sarah, married Jeremiah Green, a Boston dis- 
tiller. Green sold all of this farm east of the Pond, containing 
280 acres, to John Hunt, March 2, 1773. John Hunt sold 131 
acres to Daniel Hunt in 1775. The latter cleared the land and 
made his home there until old age, possibly until death. During 
the Revolution\ he was arrested on suspicion of being a Tory, 
but was discharged after satisfying the authorities of his innd- 
cence. His widow, Hulda, sold the place to Randall Angell, in 
1813. The latter paid for this farm with the proceeds of the 
corn and rye, i)eef and pork, butter and cheese raised on the place 
and carted lo Providence by ox-team'. I'rown Angell, as a boy. 
of 16, carried on this farm alone for months at a time for his 

^ luncrson'.s History of Douglas, page 75. 

- Raiulall's statement to grandson, S3lvcster Angell. 




JAMES H. SINGLETON 



mitm^rn^ '^P'i ^^^ r^ 




I ^-s, ^1 -^ 




THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 57 

father, having his younyer sister with him as housekeej^er. When 
Brown Angell was settled on the present Singleton farm, Olney 
( 1808-1886). another son of Randall Angell, took the place and 
lived there until his death. 1die Angells tore down the old Hunt 
house, which was in had condition, and huilt the house now 
standing. The old cellar of the Hunt house may he seen ahout 
200 feet north of the present house. 

The Alexander Ritchie Place. 

Ohadiah Brown, afterward associated with Samuel Slater, the 
noted manufacturer, who hought the Daniel Hunt place in 1809, 
failed to pay off his mortgage to Hunt, and after the latter's 
death the court ajipointed Israel Aldrich and Richard Mowry 
to settle the estate. From the northern part of the Hunt place, 
a 61 -acre lot was sold to John Rich of Sutton, Septemlier 20. 
1813. Benjamin Rohbins and John Hunt bought this land the 
following November and the next April sold to Jonathan Aid- 
rich, a son of Israel Aldrich, who built the first house and lived 
there until 1849. when he sold to his son-in-law. William Buxton, 
and moved to Centerdale, R. I. Subsequent owners were Lovell 
Parker (1810-1891). Michael Roberts, who married Mary 
Ritchie, aunt of Alexander Ritchie, who bought in 1893. The 
house burned in 1901 from a forest fire which started from the 
railroad near the pond, and Ritchie replaced the old house with 
the present log house. 

In the woods on the opposite side of the road, extending a 
mile from the State line to the Wallum Pond-Douglas school 
house, is a swamp known as Bear Swamp. There is a tradition^ 
that the last bear in the vicinity was hunted in this swamp. 
After killing a dog belonging to one Sherman, the bear took 
refuge in a tree and was killed. 

Most of the area eastward of Bear Swamp, extending from 
the Fairfield road to the Tasseltop road and from the Rhode 
Island line northward to the Wallum Pond-Douglas school house 
road, was covered with a hemlock forest from earlv colonial davs 



1 Statement to the writer by Edwin C. Esten, who received the infor- 
mation from his mother, the daughter of Jonathan Marcy. 



58 THE CHARLES ARNOLD PLACE 

down to perhaps 1860. The brook which (h-ains Bear Swamp 
and flows northeasterly nearly to Tasseltop was named Hem- 
heck (Hemlock) on Dr. Douglas's map. 

Tlic Charles Arnold Place. 

The cellar hole of this house is the next one north of Ritchie's 
log house. November 20, 1779, WilHam Menzies bought what 
remained of Katherine Robertson's lot, cleared the farm and 
erected buildings. .Vfter his death, the administrators sold the 
property to Daniel Hunt, April 9, 1795. Jonah Brown, Jr., 
bought part of the property in 1802 and was living there when 
he sold to Abbee Brown in 1811. Aaron Benson bought it 
November 4, 1813, and, the following January, sold to Otis liux- 
ton (1786-1873). The latter, with his wife, Salome (1787- 
1887), and a large family of children, lived there until 1835, 
when he sold to his son, Daniel, and bought John Alartin's place 
west of Wallum Pond. Daniel Buxton (1812-1897), a rather 
picturesque and unconventional character, owned, at one time or 
another, most of the land on the northern part of \\'allum Pond 
Hill. In 1851, he sold to his Ijrother, Allen Buxton (1827- 
1897), and moved into the Israel .Mdrich house. A few feet 
westerly of the house was a shoemaker's shop containing half a 
dozen benches\ where Charles Arnold employed his neighbors 
in the late fifties and early sixties. Later owners or tenants 
were Alonzo P. Taft, who operated a sawmill, Lovell Parker, 
Dexter Walling and George Walling. The house l)urned between 
1892 and 1898, and the barn fell down sometime in the nineties. 

Daniel Buxton, according to his son, \\'illiam, was a spectator 
at the "Battle of Acote's Hill" in Chepachet in 1842. Mr. Syl- 
vester Angell recalls hearing the commotion due to the flight of 
Dorr's trooi)s over Wallum Pond Hill and across the Massachu- 
setts line during ihe night after the atifair. Thomas ( )'Xeil 
quotes Joseph Bowdish as saying that some of Dorr's men spent 
the ni<rht in Bowdish's barn, located easterlv of the school-house. 



1 Frod Arnold to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 



59 



The Vickcrs Place. 

The cellar of this house is close to the road and has large lilac 
Ijushes near it. In the old days, the Providence to Southbridge 
stage turned into this place, went westward down by the north 
end of the pond, across the brook and swamp on a long bridge- 
way, and continued westerly over the hill to the Coffee House 
four corners. This road is still passaljle for a horse and wagon 
as far as the pond. 

The Vickers Place was a part of Andrew Tyler's lot, which 
was sold for taxes at an auction. May 29, 1782. to Dr. William 
Jennison (1732-1798), who acquired much property in Douglas. 
Two years later Dr. Jennison bought 240 acres more of the 
Andrew Tyler lot from the latter's granddaughter. Miriam 
Tyler Powell of New Haven. Conn. Between 1782 and 1795, 
the property passed through the hands of Peter Tyler, Joseph 
Chase and Abel and John Robbins. It is likely that the stage 
road to the pond was built during the latter's ownership, as it is 
mentioned for the first time when he sold to Daniel Aldrich in 
1795. The farm had probably been cleared and buildings erected 
by that time. Seth Aldrich, who bought of his father, Daniel, 
lived here from 1799, until he sold to Dr. Levi Eddy (1776- 
1844) in 1810. Dr. Eddy rented the property to David Buxton, 
a brother of Otis Buxton, and to Benjamin Green, who had mar- 
ried a Buxton and who lived here many years. After Dr. Eddy's 
death, the property passed successively through the hands of 
Daniel Buxton. x\lpheus Humes and Allen Buxton. In 1858. 
Ruth Buxton Burbank and Rhoda Buxton Ide bought the place 
for their father and mother. Otis and Salome Buxton, specifying 
that it should be free from the interference of their husbands, a 
clause evidently inserted to make sure that the old couple could 
remain as long as they pleased. In 1864. Abigail Vickers. a 
woman of Indian blood, who had married Erastus Vickers. 
mixed Indian and negro, bought the place and lived there until 
Dutee Salisljury bought to erect the summer camp at the north 
end of the pond in 1891. The house burned, about 1892. 



60 THE ISRAEL ALDRICH FARM 

TJic Israel Aid rich Farm. 
The farm is nicely situated on the northern crest of W'allum 
Pond Hill with fine views of the Pond, the Douglas Woods 
and Alt. Watchusett. This land was probably a part of William 
Tyler's share in the 1.900-acre tract which, by his will, was left 
to his son. Joseph Tyler. Lucy Tyler Whitwells and Frances 
Tyler sold to Israel Aldrich (1765-1831). March 30. 1787. Ben- 
jamin Green heard Mr. Aldrich say^ that he cleared and planted 
so much land the first spring after he settled here that it took 
him 30 days to do his hoeing. Aldrich was a prosperous farmer. 
His son, Asahel, who afterward lived on the next place to the 
northward (the Ernest Singleton Place), operated the sawmill 
by the railroad, about half a mile northwest of Wallum Pond. 
One of Israel's daughters married Capt. Samuel White and 
another married a Wallis ; and both daughters, with their father 
and mother, are buried in the family burying ground about 600 
feet northwesterly of the home site. Mr. Tallman. who at one 
time operated the ^^'allum Pond factory, lived in the Israel Aid- 
rich house for some time, about 1851. Daniel Buxton was liv- 
ing in it when it burned in 1854. 

Religious Scrz'ices. 

Wallum Pond never had a church, but services were fre- 
quently held in the Douglas school house, which was on the north 
side of the road leading easterly from the Israel Aldrich place 
on Wallum Pond Hill and about one quarter of a mile therefrom. 
Mr. Harvey Wakefield (1808-1889), the Gore minister, occa- 
sionall}- •came up to preach in the school-house. Others who 
sometimes conducted services there were Ezra Stone and Eras- 
tus Vickers. Some of the Wallum Pond Hill neighborhood 
attended Mr. Wakefield's services in East Thompson; others 
attended church in Tasseltop ; and there was a church of the 
Mormons or Latter Day Saints near the Marcy Place, a])()ut two 
miles east of Wallum Pond Hill. 



^ Wm. Green to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 61 

Walhun Pond-Douglas School. 

The first school-house^ on this site was built by Emer Boweii 
in 1799 at an expense of $135. The teacher in this school in 
1835- was Augusta Batchelder; and in 1841 Joseph Seagraves. 
Other teachers before 1855" were Malvina Richardson, Sarah 
Healey, Clara Holman. Sarah Jefferson, and, in later years, 
Sarah Walling and Grace Darling. This school was continued 
until the burning of the building, about 1893. 

The Summer Camps. 

It is not surprising that such a beautiful sheet of water, with 
adjoining wooded hills and good fishing, should have proved 
attractive to summer campers. Dutee Salisbury, of Pascoag, 
camped in a tent with a frame cook house at the north end of 
the Pond in 1891 and 1892, and, after the opening of the railroad 
in 1893 had made the place more accessible, built two camps 
there. He afterwards rented these camps to Horatio Bellows, 
to one Hughes and others, who conducted a boarding house, 
there being about thirty summer boarders living in the camps 
and tents at the north end, where there is a fair beach for bath- 
ing. Mr. Oliver Inman at one time had a tent camp north of 
the railroad, near the spring. Wm. Inman, of Bridgeton, 
camped one season in a tent in the pine grove near the Sana- 
torium site and took his meals at the Salisbury Camp. The next 
season (1894), he built a camp near Salisbury's and occupied it 
several seasons. Dr. E. V. Granger of Pascoag, after camping" 
in a tent in the pine grove behind Sylvester Angell's house sev- 
eral summers, built a camp on the east shore on railroad land 
about 1,000 feet south of the north end. Wm. Dyer, of Provi- 
dence, bought the two Salisbury camps, about 1908, and sum- 
mered there with his family for several seasons. While the 
Sanatorium was being luiilt, its architect. Howard Thornton, of 
Providence, built a camp on the east shore a little north of the 
middle of the pond. This camp burned, about 1906, and the 



1 Emerson's History of Douglas, page 91. 
-Susan Green Angell (1827- ) to writer. 
" Nancy Buxton Anderson to writer. 



62 MINERALS 

camp afterward built l)y Clarence King and now owned by Mr. 
J. Ernest Singleton, is located on the same site. In the summer 
of 1914, j\Ir. \\'. E. Gaucher of Harrisville built a camp on the 
lower west shore almost opposite the Sanatorium ice house. 

Minerals. 

It has long been a tradition^ in the Angell family that in early 
days hunters al:)Out W'allum Pond made bullets from lead- 
obtained from rocks. Smith F. Angell states that his father. 
George R. Angell, told him that the latter, with Arnold Stone, 
made bullets from lead cut out of seams in the rocks with a 
jackknife and that this lead was found near Goat Rock. In the 
prospectus of the Gold Milling & Refining Co.. organized by Syl- 
vester Angell and others, it is claimed that three veins of sili- 
cious ore have been located on the northwestern side of \\'allum 
Lake and that four of the assays showed gold valued from $5.15 
to $24.92 per ton. silver from 31 cents to $22.04 per ton, and 
arsenic, amount unstated. 

The Ice Companies. 

The W'allum Pond Ice Co. was organized by Richard \\'. 
Smith, formerly a teacher in the Mowry & Gofif School of 
Providence, who became President of the concern. The cor- 
poration bought land of the Knowltons on the west shore of the 
pond near the north end, ]\Iay 12, 1894. An ice house having a 
capacity of about eighteen thousand tons, a boarding house for 
the men and over 1,000 feet of spur track were constructed and 
steam engine and hoisting machinery installed. The company 
did not prosper, and after being mortgaged to Fred L. Sayles 
and leased to W'm. E. Powen, the property, following some liti- 
gation, was acquired by the Providence Ice Co. in November, 
1901. The ice house was filled nearly every year, but rarely 
emptied, as this ice was usually kejit in reserve until the sui)ply 
nearer Providence was exhausted. On Feb. 14, 1915, while a 



1 Sylvester Angell from his father. Brown Angell. 

- Israel Aldrich told Benjamin Green that the Indians got lead from 
rocks in the Douglas woods. A similar account is given in Wintlirop's 
Journal, Jameson's Vx\.. Vol. 1, page 108. 



THE WALLUM POXD ESTATES 63 

gang of men were preparing to commence ice cutting, the ice 
house took fire and burned so rapidly that several men l:)arely 
had time to escape from the building. It was believed that the 
fire resulted from men smoking in the straw lofts imder the roof. 
The boarding house burned a few hours later. The Crystal Ice 
Co., of Providence, of which David F. Sherwood was President, 
on Jan. 23, 1901, bought of Sylvester Angell, three or four acres 
of land near the outlet of \\'allum Pond, with the ostensible pur- 
pose of building an ice house and railroad spur track to the prop- 
erty, but this project never materialized and these rights were 
afterward sold to John F. Kaufman and later, Xov. 18, 1901, to 
the Providence Ice Co. Xo attempt to utilize this property was 
ever made. 

Forms JJ^est of the Pond. 

From the west shore of the pond, the wooded land rises stead- 
ily for about a third of a mile to the summit of the Buck Hill 
ridge, which runs north and south parallel to the pond and about 
150 feet above it. The top of the ridge forms a rolling plateau 
about a mile wide from which the land slopes downward and 
westward into Connecticut. The ridge extends many miles to 
the southward, but to the northward it is severed by the valley 
of Rocky Brook, which crosses it in its westerly course. There 
have been five farms on this ridge, two in Rhode Island near the 
Massachusetts line and three in Massachusetts. Considering 
how hilly and stony the land is hereabouts, and how deeply in 
the woods the farms are located, one is surprised to see how 
smooth this land is and how excellent the farm buildings were 
as evident from the large and well built foundations. 

77/r JJ'orslcy Place. 
South of the Whitman place is what was formerly called the 
Hatch lot. This land was laid out in the original right of Daniel 
Abbott of Providence, who sold to Estes Hatch, of Dorchester, 



64 THE WHITMAN FARM 

]\Iass., Sept. 5, \726\ A tradition persists that lands in this 
vicinity belonging" to Hatch and one Menzies. who were Tories, 
were confiscated during the Revolution. The tradition is incor- 
rect as applied to this land, which was sold l)y Estes Hatch and 
Nathaniel Hatch, of Boston, to John Aldrich and Daniel Aljhott, 
Nov. 26, 175V. In 1809, Joseph Worsley, of Thompson, bought 
112 acres of the Hatch lot of William Joy. The A\'orsley house 
stood about 50 rods southerly of the \Miitman house and had 
disappeared before 1850. The barn- was then standing and was 
used by Serrail Jacobs for his sheep, which were pastured on 
the Worsley place. 

The Whit ma 11 farm. 

Elijah Whitman bought this place. 62 acres, of Elias Joy, 
Oct. 28. 1808. cleared the land and, after living for some time in 
a log house, built a frame house in Rhode Island, 80 rods from 
the ^Massachusetts line. In 1812, Burrillville accepted a road 
leading westward into Thompson. Whitman and Worsley thus 
bad the unusual experience of running farms in Burrillville, 
Rhode Island, and having no highway communication with the 
rest of the town unless they previously passed through a section 
of either Massachusetts or Connecticut. Wood roads which 
lead southeast to the pond and to the present Sanatorium pig- 
gery were used for logging in winter. In 1818, Joseph Munyon 
sold to Joseph Benson a tract of woodland to the westward of 
Whitman's. The highest point of this land has been called Ben- 
son Mountain and is 794 feet above the sea level, 16 feet higher 
than Wallum Pond Hill and 219 feet above the pond. After 
Whitman's death, his wife, Sally, moved to Oxford, and, with 
his children, Elijah, the 2nd. et al, sold the form to Henry 
Wheelock, March 7, 1854. The farm was afterward owned by 
Lemuel, a son of Ebenezer Starr. The unoccui)ied house burned 
to the ground in the forest fire, about 1911. 



1 See deed of Estes and Natlianiel Hatcli to John Aldrich and Uaniel 
Abbott in the Glocester Records. 
- Barton Jacobs to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 65 

The Mason, Buxton and Starr Farms. 

From the Whitman place, a road leads northward, crossing 
the Rhode Island line to the three Massachusetts farms. It has 
been a tradition that these farms were the so-called "Boston 
Men's Farms." and it is true that the eastern parts of these 
farms were originally granted to the "Boston- Men." It appears 
likely that these lands were cleared and the buildings erected 
during the ownership of Abraham Mason (1763-1852). Alason 
was a veteran of the Revolution and subsequently a blacksmith 
in Thompson. He was a small, wiry man who weighed scaixely 
120 pounds but possessed great strength. One of the feats still 
related by those who remember him^ was the crossing of an 
unfinished room with his body suspended in air, l)y clinging with 
the thumb and fingers of each hand to the overhead joists. The 
tract comprising these three farms was bought in one piece by 
Abraham ]\Iason of Dr. Timothy Jennison. of Cambridge, in 
1799. Dr. Jennison's father. Dr. Wm. Jennison, had previously 
bought the tract of Abijah Estes, who bought of John Reed, of 
Uxbridge, February 9, 1761. Reed's deed to Estes states that 
this land was bounded on the east by the "Boston Men's Farms." 
]\Iason- also bought of Sweetland Taft a share in the lower saw- 
mill on Rocky Brook, probably to get out lumber for his build- 
ings. The southern part of his farm next to the Rhode Island 
line, comprising 100 acres with a dwelling, was sold to his son, 
Levi Mason, November 18, 1811, and the latter sold to Daniel 
Barrett in 1818. Barrett's son, Daniel Barrett, Jr., bought it in 
1833 and, in 1837, sold to Ebenezer Starr (1817-1874). Besides 
other stock, Starr kept a large drove of pigs which were allowed 
free range in the woods during the day and were called in at 
night. Brown Angell, who lived over a mile away across the 
pond on the present Singleton farm, used to tell of hearing Mr. 
Starr calling in his drove of pigs-'. This farm was later oper- 
ated for a time by Lemuel Starr, a clock repairer and son of 
Ebenezer, but was finallv abandoned, and the house rotted down 



1 Ira Wakefield (1837- ) to writer. 

- For extracts from Mason's Journal see Appendix. 

•' Sylvester Angell to writer. 



66 



THE MASON, BUXTON AND STARR FARMS 




BADLUCK POND 

about 20 years ago. To the westward of the Starr place, in a 
log house, there dwelt sometimes an itinerant preacher named 
Wyman Isaiah Gideon Thayer'. Following the road to the 
northward, the next farm is one which Mason sold with the 
dwelling house to John Martin in 1820. Otis Buxton bought 
it of Martin in 1835. Buxton's sons-in-law, Thomas Rowland 
and Wellington Daw. and Otis's son, Allen Buxton, occupied 
the place for some years until the house burned down. ]\ia- 
son sold meats, groceries and supplies to the neighborhood. 
He operated a blacksmith shop which was located on the north 
side of the road at the turn just west of his house. He sold the 
remainder of his farm to his son-in-law, Daniel Wakefield 
( 1805-1885) in 1832, but continued to live there until his death. 
Richard Rawson afterward owned the place, the house burning 
down during his ownership. From the Mason place, a road 
formerly swung to the right, passed the north end of the pond 



1 Barton Jacol)s to writer. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 67 

and came out on Wallum Pond Hill at the Vickers place. (J\er 
this road, the school children from the west side of the Pond 
came to the Douglas school on Wallum Pond Hill. ]\Irs. Ira 
Wakefield, a daughter of Daniel Wakefield, remembers when 
this road was so icy that she had to creep on her hands and knees 
up the hill to school. 

About half a mile northwesterly of the northern end of Wal- 
lum Pond, the railroad passes through a small pond on Rockv 
Brook and by the ruins of a sawmill operated b\- Asahel Aldrich 
about 1860. 

Tlie Coffee House. 

At the Mason place, the road bears to the left down the hill, 
crosses the railroad track. Rocky Brook, and the Douglas-East 
Thompson highway, which are all near together about one and 
one-quarter miles west of the north end of the pond, and con- 
tinues in a northwesterly direction to "The (jore." On the 
northwest bank of the brook by this highway, there stood, in the 
old days, a tavern called the Coft'ee House. The Douglas-East 
Thompson highway was a stage road between Boston and Hart- 
ford, and the Cofifee House accommodated travelers over this 
route. 

The lot of land on which the Cofi:'ee House stood was sold by 
Abijah Estes, an extensive land owner northwest of the pond, 
to James Bott, a saddler of Salem. ]\Iass.. April 29. 1778. The 
following November, Bott sold to Abraham Guild, and 18 days 
later Guild sold to four Providence merchants. Joseph Olney, 
William Wall, Samuel Dunn, Jr., and Joseph Cooke. While 
the deeds are silent as to buildings, it seems likely that the CoiTee 
House was operated under their ownershi]x Sweetland Taft 
owned an interest in this tavern from 17')7 to 1814. when he 
sold to John Tilley. originally a sea-faring man from Boston, 
who was probably the last proprietor. Although still standing 
in 1819, when Tilley mortgaged it to Calvin Sanger, it is unlikely 
that it was operated as a tavern after 1823, when the property 
was bought for a wood lot from Tilley's widow by Samuel 
Slater (1768-18,35). the Pawtucket and Webster mill owner 



68 THE COFFEE HOUSE 

who first introduced cotton manufacturing into America. The 
Coffee House probably rotted down^ and disappeared before 
1835", although the line of sheds where the stage horses were 
stabled were standing as late as 1848". 

There is a tradition that a man was once murdered in the old 
Coffee House"^ ". The story of an attempted murder which the 
author has been unable to verify is here related as given to Mon- 
roe Ide by the grandson of the intended victim. His grand- 
father, Vinton, a cattle drover of prosperous appearance whose 
business had called him to that vicinity, stopped for the night at 
the Coft'ee House. The landlord engaged Vinton in conversa- 
tion and said that if he would wait until the other guests had 
retired he would show him his wine cellar. After the other 
guests had gone to bed, he took Vinton to the back of the house, 
opened a door and said "there is my wine cellar." Before reach- 
ing this door, they passed an apparently demented old lady who 
mumbled "two went out and one came back'' and aroused Vin- 
ton's suspicions, and, as this door opened, he glanced sideways 
and saw his host raising an axe to strike him. Being an 
unusually powerful man, he disarmed his assailant and had him 
arrested. The investigation which followed resulted in the con- 
viction and hanging of this man for a murder previously 
committed. 

Land easterly of the Coffee House lot and between it and the 
northern end of Wallum Pond was the southern part of a tract 
laid out to Simon Chamberlain pursuant to an order of the Gen- 
eral Court" of June 27, 1743. Chamberlain, whose name clings 
to a pond of about four acres at the northern source of Rocky 
Brook, about two and one-cjuarter miles northwesterly of Wallum 
Pond, was settled on his land when he received his deed. De- 
scendants' of Simon Chamberlain by an Indian woman are still 
living in Webster. 

1 Statement to the writer liy Nina Starr, who was so informed by sev- 
eral old people in this vicinity. 

- Statement to the writer by Susan Angell (1827- ). 

■'• Statement to the writer by Monroe Ide, who remembers them. 

^ Statement to the writer by Nina Starr, received from her father, 
Lemuel Starr. 

•"' Statement to the writer l)y Monroe Ide, received from his grand- 
mother. Salome Buxton. 

'■' Chapter 134. 

' Personal communication from Ruth Slater. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 69 

The Brass Ball. 

About three-quarters of a mile southwest of the Coffee House, 
in Connecticut and close to the State line, was an old tavern, 
The Brass Ball, so called from a bronzed wooden ball, about the 
size of a bushel basket, which was used as a sign. As the trav- 
eler crossed the State line, he passed through the Toll Gate, near 
a large rock, still seen by the road side, where he was required 
to pay the following rates : 

Rate of TollK 

Cents 
Every travelling 4-wheeled pleasure carriage and horses . . 25 

Chaise, chair or sulky 12^ 

Loaded wagon or cart drawn by four beasts 12^ 

Each additional beast 3 

Loaded wagon drawn by 2 beasts 12;!/2 

Each additional beast 3 

Empty wagon or cart 6^4 

Four-wheeled pleasure carriage drawn ])v one horse 8 

Single horse cart loaded 6^ 

Single horse cart empty 4 

Pleasure sleigh 6^4 

Loaded sleigh or sled 5 

Empty sleigh or sled 4 

Man and horse 4 

Horses, cattle and mules, each 2 

Sheep and swine, each 1 

The Toll Gate was still in use in the early forties but was dis- 
used after 1853". Daniel Barrett bought the Brass Ball of the 
Sprague heirs and operated it as a hotel until about 1849, when 
he leased the property to Jason Young for hotel purposes. Bar- 
rett returned to the Brass Ball in 1853 and died in 1866, when 
the land was bought for the lumber on it by the Stockwell 
brothers. About 1857, William Church, intoxicated by liquor 

^ The above rates were copied from the original board sign, now in 
possession of Anna Hoyle. 

- Toll was sometimes collected not at the Brass Ball but farther west- 
ward in East Thompson village. 



70 WASHINGTON PASSES THROUGH DOUGLAS WOODS 

obtained at the Brass Ball, wandered from the highway at night 
into the Douglass Woods and was frozen to death. The Brass 
Ball received much of the business formerly given the Cofifee 
House, but, with the coming of the railroad and the passing of 
the stage coach, it was used less as a tavern and more as a 
saloon until operation as a public house ceased, not far from 
1860. After being vacant for a time, it was used by Italian 
railroad laborers and shortl}- afterward it burned down, about 
1884. 

jrasliington Passes ThroiigJi Douglas Woods. 

The following extract from the diary of George \\ ashington 
pictures this part of the country as it appeared to him when he 
passed through in Noveml)er. 1789: 

"Saturday, 7th. 

"Left Taft's^ before sunrise, and passing through Douglas 
Wood, breakfasted at one Jacob's in Thompson, 12 miles dis- 
tant ; not a good house. Bated the horses in Pomfret. at Col. 
Grosvenor's, distant 11 miles from Jacobs; and lodged at Squire 
Perkins" in Ashford (called 10 miles but must be 12). The 
first stage, with a small exception, is intolerable bad road and a 
poor uncultivated country, covered chiefly with woods — the 
largest of which is called Douglas, at the foot of which on the 
east side, is a large pond". Jacob's is in the state of Connecticut, 
and here the lands are better, and more highly improved." 

The Abandoned Farms, 1S50-1900. 

One by one, the buildings of this neighborhood decayed or 
were burned and the farms grew up to brush and were aban- 
doned until now the cultivated farms are but three where there 
were formerly thirty. 

One cannot withhold admiration from the settlers of these 
parts, who, undaunted by some of the roughest land which 
even New England can furnish, cut and ])urned the forests of 
oak and chestnut, cleared the land of innumerable stones, built 
the stonewalls, in themselves a Herculean lal)or, and, working 

' In Uxbridgc. 
- Badluck Pond. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 71 

from starlight to starlight, made homes comfortable for that 
day. Such toils and sacrifices can be expected only from those 
who feel the responsibility of ownership and the certainty of 
reward for their toil. The children reared on these farms, the 
Rowlands, Stones, Aldrichs, Kings, Buxtons, Angells, Greens 
and Eddys, were needed to develop the country and to lead the 
foreign born. 

With the hardest task accomplished, that their descendants 
should have abandoned these farms seems unfortunate from the 
standpoint of agriculture. But that they should take up the fer- 
tile, stoneless lands of the West, or accept the Eastern town life, 
made easier by machinery and factory organization, does credit 
to their intelligence. If, at some future period, the food scarcity 
forces agriculture back to these lands, the stone clearing of the 
old pioneers will not have been in vain, and, in any event, their 
willingness to rear race-preserving families and to work till the 
work was done and be satisfied should be an inspiration to ease- 
loving successors. 



/I 



Al'PEXDIX 







.^.-♦-i 



>» .'«-'^*'^-» 

..i?-^- 



i' ( 







THE DYER AND INMAN CAMPS 

Appendix 

IValliDii Pond on the j\Iaps. 
The early mapmakers of northeastern America, with hut httle 
knowledge of the country, could hardly be expected to show this 
inland pond. Some of the Belgian or Dutch mapmakers wrote 
Xovi Belgi or Nieum Niederland across this part of the map or 
located the Pequot Indians to the southwest or the Xipmucks 
hereabouts, but on most of their maps, this part of the country 
was left ])lank. Wallum Pond is not shown on the maps bv 
Sauens. 1616; Jacobz, 1621 ; Le Laet, 1630; Woods, 1634; Win- 
throp, 1634; Blaen, 1635; no name, 1634; Woodward & Saf- 
fery, 1642; Dudley, 1646; Colom, 1648; Vischer, 1656; D'Abbe- 
ville, 1656; Arnold Colom, 1658; Visschero, 1659; Joilet, 1673: 
Randin, 1672-1682 ; Seller, 1675 ; Dankers, date unknown ; Hub- 
bard, 1677; White Hall's Mag., 1677; Stoughton & Buckley. 
1678; Morden, 1690; Thornton, 1695; Magnalia Americana. 
1697; Hennepin, 1698; Mather, 1702; and a Boundary Map of 
Connecticut and Rhode Island, 1703. The boundary map of 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 77i 

Rhode Island prepared Ijy Mumford in 1720. by order of the 
Rhode Island General Assembly, does not show the pond, 
although it must have been known to Mumford. who was one of 
the surveyors. \\'allum Pond is not shown on the maps by J. 
Harris. 1719; Xeal. 1720; an English Pilot. 1731 ; Popple. 1733; 
by an unknown author. 1741 ; Sothock. 1746; or by the Bound- 
ary Commissions. 1750. The earliest map. to the writer's knowl- 
edge, which shows ^^'allum Pond, is that of Dr. William Doug- 
las, published about 1753. in which the name is given as W'alamp 
Pond. Thomas Jeffreys' map. 1755. showed the Pond, copying 
several names of this vicinity from the Douglas map. John 
^litchell's map in 1755, Thos. Kitchin's, 1758, and that of an 
English Pilot, 1758, failed to show it. Carrington Bowles, in 
1771, showed the pond without name. Jeffreys' map in 1774. 
Sayer & Bennett's map in 1775, Lottner's in 1776, Le Rouge's, 
1777, Kitchin's, 1778, showed the pond as Walamp, evidently 
derived from Dr. Douglas' map. as several of his mistakes were 
copied. J. Almon. 1777. failed to show it. Maps published by 
Political ^Magazine. 1780. Universal Magazine. 1780, "A map of 
R. I. and Conn, by the best authorities, 1780," a map by Covens 
and JVIortier, Amsterdam, a map by Brion De La Tours, 1782, 
fail to show the pond. Admiral Ternay, 1780, showed the pond 
without name. Norman, 1785, showed the pond as Walamp, 
the pond draining northward through Douglas. Osgood Carle- 
ton's map in 1793 showed the pond but gave no name. Fadden. 
1793, failed to show it. Morse, 1794, showed the pond all in 
Douglas without name. Samuel Lewis, 1794, showed the pond 
running lengthwise, east and west, and draining northward 
through Douglas. In 1795 Caleb Harris showed the pond all in 
Rhode Island as AUum Pond, probably the first one to show it 
from independent information since Dr. Douglas's map of 1753. 
Maps by Scott, 1795; Faden, 1796; Tanner, 1796; Morse. "For 
a Geography." 1796; Reid, 1796; H. Harris, 1796; Sotzman of 
Hamburg, 1796 ; for Payne's Geography, 1798 ; and an unknown 
map. of 1800. showed the pond as Allum Pond, much the same 
as Harris. Osgood Carleton, 1801 and 1802, showed the pond 
without name. Carev. date unknown, shows Allum Pond all in 



74 THE INDIAN SACHEM ALLUMPS 

Rhode Island, and Lewis, 1804, shows it ahnost touching the 
Connecticut hne. A map in 1806. author unknown, shows it 
about half in Rhode Island and half in Massachusetts. Lucas, 
1816; Benoni Lock wood. 1819; Ruggles. 1819; Lucas. 1822; 
A. Finley, 1824 and 1825; Buchon. 1825; Weiland, 1826; Hale, 
1826; Goodrich, 1831 ; and Stevens, 1831 ; showed it as Allum 
Pond. Carter, 1825 ; Huntington, 1830; Finley, 1830; and Pierce, 
1831, failed to show it. Carter, 1830, showed the pond without 
name. Hitchcock, 1832. failed to show it. Boynton. 1835. showed 
it as Wallum Pond. Wells. 1836, showed the pond without name. 
Bradford, 1838. showed it as Allum Pond. Mitchell's Geog- 
raphy, 1839, failed to show it, as did Burr in the same year. 
Dearborn, 1840, showed it as Wallam Pond: Jackson. 1840; 
Morse, 1842, and Borden, 1844. showed it as Wallam. Stevens, 
1846, adhered to Allum Pond. Ensign and Thayer, 1847 ; Gold- 
thwait, 1849, and again in 1850, showed nothing. Howland, in 
1851 ( ?), showed the pond but no name. Walker, 1852. showed 
it as Alum Pond. Cowperthwait. in 1853, and Colton, in 1855, 
showed the pond without name. Walling, for the first time to 
the writer's knowledge, showed it as Wallum in 1855, and only 
since 1860 have the mapmakers settled on \\'allum. 

Tlic Indian Sachcui Alliiinps. 

Mr. \\'illiam B. Cabot, who has made a study of the Algon- 
quin language, through association with the Indians of Labra- 
dor, writes me that "Hyems appears like another torm, perhaps 
dialectic of Allums. The Nipmucks used 'L' mostly where the 
Narragansetts and some others used 'Y.' As h — aspirate goes 
in Algonki, generally, I should take it here as an intensive, con- 
veying that Hyemps was superlative in some way." As Allumps 
was a renegade Xarragansett who lived among Nipmucks, 
Quinebaugs, Narragansetts and Shetuckets, Mr. Cabot's expla- 
nation of the different pronunciations of his name is supported 
])}• facts in Allum])s' personal history. 

Trumbull tells us that the Ouinebaug Indians' under Allumps 
and Aguntus. were 400 or 500 in number, always peacefully 



1 Trumbull, History of Connecticut, p. 337. 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 75 

disposed toward the whites. l)Ut that when an Englishman 
attempted to settle in Quinebaug, about 1650. he was driven out 
by Hyems's (Allumps) threat to "bury him alive." Allumps' 
first act of importance to the colony was his sale, together with 
his brother, Ma-Shan-Shawitt. and the Sagamore Aguntus, of 
their lands in the Quinebaug country (now Plainfield and Can- 
terbury, Conn.) on April 28. 1659. In his deed of sale. Allumps 
reserved forever for his i)eople the privilege of "hunting, fishing, 
and convenient planting" and during their lifetimes, as in former 
times, the tribute or acknowledgment of sachems in two par- 
ticulars, "The skin of every black woolfe and the skin of every 
deere killed in the river." 

On ]\Iay 12. 1659,' Allumps gave possession of the Quine- 
baug country to Joshua Huse and Amos Richardson and marked 
some of the bounds for them. \Mien they came to the brook 
Waynemasis. which they claimed was the east bound of their 
country separating Quinel)aug from Narragansett, they asked 
Allumps how far it reached toward the northeast and Allumps 
answered "It was a day and a half (journey), which we judged 
might be about some forty or fifty myles." Had Allumps made 
a more modest claim to territory and the white men considerably 
reduced their estimate of a day's journey, Allum Pond would 
still have easily been within this absurd claim. 

John Quitamoz- told the legislative committee that he was 
present and saw divers goods given to Aguntus and Hyems by 
Gov. Winthrop while Hyems was discoursing about the sale of 
Quinebaug. Miss Larned states that "Aguntus at first blamed 
Hyems for selling land that was not his, and made him, in the 
presence of Winthrop, pull off a coat he had received in pay- 
ment. A roll of tucking cloth, two rolls of red cotton, wampum, 
stockings, tobacco pipes, and tobacco secured his (Aguntus') 
consent." Uncus, the Mohegan chief, whose dwelling place was 
near New London and to whom Allumps owed allegiance, after- 
ward sold these same lands to Major Fitch, and there was a con- 
troversy among the rival claimants which led to fighting. The 

1 Winthrop Papers, Document 110, State House. Hartford, Conn. 
- Town and Lands, Vol. 2. Document 186. 



76 EXAMINATION OF INDIANS 

settlement of the claims of \\'inthrop and Fitch in favor of the 
latter, with reservations for the former, necessitated an inves- 
tigation which throws much light on Allumps. 

The life of Allumps, according to his Indian biographers, 
Tuckcheon and Passagcogon, testifying before the legislative 
committee in 1704, is here given verbatim. 

Exaiiiiiiafion of Indians. 

"O What is your name\ A tuckcheon Q What age are you 
A a little more than 80 years old Q What Country A Mohegin 
Q did you know Hyems A yes Q what Countryman was Hyems 
A his mother was a Coesit- Squaw his father of Narraganset 
Q what occasion brought Hyems into these parts A he killed 
(blotted) and that was the Reason of it. O whas Hyems a 
Sachem In the Narraganset A a Gentleman he was. Q Whither 
did he come when he came from the Narraganset A Pawtuck- 
quachooge Q how many men did Hyems bring into the Country 
A about 40 men Q whither Massanshawet and aguntus came 
with Hyems A they came all together Q who was the chief 
Sachem A aguntus Q who gave Hyems and Aguntus Leave to 
dwell at Egunck A they were Cozens to Uncas and he gave them 
Leave Q whither Ever the Narragansets Laid any Claims to 
the Quinebauge Land A no Q whither you Remember when 
Hyems Came A no Q was there many Indians belonging to 
Quinebaug when Hyems came A a great many three sorts of 
people the Quinebaugs the Shatuckets and the Nipmucks O had 
these Indians any Sachem of their own A they had none but 
went were they pleased Q did the Quinebaug Indians Ever own 
Uncas as a Sachem A that they paid him Royalties Q where did 
Hyem use to live A lately at Egunk Q do you know the great 
falls what the name of them A Powtuck and a Hill near the falls 
called Equiunck Q do you know who built the fort near the falls 
A assogut & nemo Q what Indians were these whither Uncas 
or Hyems A he does not know Certainly but they Carryed 
Sometimes to Uncas sometimes to the Narragansets presents 

^ State Library, Hartford. Conn. Town and Lands, Vol. 2, Docu- 
ment 187. 

- Coesit was in Warwick, R. L 



THE WALLUM POXD ESTATES 77 

O whither Ever Hyems Lived at this fort A no O whither you 
know Hyems bounds A no O seeing uncas Setled Hyems In this 
Country whither he Counted it Uncas his Land A that it was 
the Quinebaughs and that they desired uncas that he would Let 
them have Hyems for their Sachem. 

Passagcogon^ a Quinebauge Indian being Examined and 
asked where the great falls were Answered up to the North- 
ward. O. what thev were Called In Indian Answ'' Powtuck- 
week. That there is a Pond beyond it Called Masshapaug. That 
a Little River comes into it on the Eastward Side. That for- 
merly there was a Fort a small one there in which only four 
families had Wigwams the principal Called Wan-nun-Chau- 
mooh. Q what the Little falls were Called he answered Pow- 
tuxset and that they were to the Southward ; O where Hyams 
his fort was in former Time Answ'' at Egunk when he said 
Passacogon was a young man before the war on the Southward 
of Greenwich path and that he had another in the Narraganset 
War by the side of the path Q Wliither ever Hyams had a fort 
and Lived at the upper falls. Answ'' No he never had any fort 
there but always Lived at Egunk Save one year he Lived over 
on the West Side Ouinibaug River because he was afraid of 
the Narraganset Indians and Uncas bid him Live there but did 
not give it to him : 

O Whither the Ouinibauge Indians were Hyams' his men and 
were subject to him : 

Answ'' No they were not their Sachem were at Shawtucket 
O From whence Hyams Came ; 

Answ'' from Narragansett upon Occassion of a fight or Quarrel 
and Came to the Moheag Sachem and asked him where he 
should Live and that he had Leave from him to Live at Egunk." 



'^ State Library, Hartford, Conn. "Indians," Vol. 1. Document 54, 
pp. 5 and 6. 



78 



JOURNAL OF ABRAHAM AIASON 



Extracts from the Journal of Abraham Mason. 



June the 6, 1798 
November the 2, 1805 



December the 11 
Jamiary the 18, 1806 
February the 6 
May 2 

November the 1 
Januarv the 2. 1807 
May the 28, 1813 

May the 27, 1813 

1813, May the 2 

1817, May the 26 

January the 8, 1814 
October the 8 

December the 14. 1815 

September the 8 

January the 18, 1830 
August the 15, 1816 
July the 13, 1824 
July the 10, 1800 
January the 3, 1805 

May the 25, 1807 

October the 2 
1817, August the 11 

1807, February the 6 

1806, Anril the 9 

1807, Mav the 9 



To sharp a plow shear 

John Keith acompt 

To twenty six nals 

To iron rod made 8 pounds 

To one pare of hinges 

To set three shews 

To nals 

To two pare of hinges 

To mending iron bar 

To making thirty nals 

to set four shews 

to mending a slay tong 

to one ox yoke staple & ring 

to sharp a plow shear 

to sharp a shear 

to two lode of wood 

Doctor Burden acompt 

to shewing hors 

Nathaniel Carat acompt 

to shewing oxon 

Comfort Davenport acompt 

to one Broad hoe 

Martin White acompt 

to eighty bushels of cols 

to six pounds of codfish 

to making four chans 

Joseph Benson acompt 

to Docking colt 

Joseph Benson 

cradet for three turkey 

Elijah Whitman acompt 

to half Bushel salt 

to half pound tea 

to four pounds of sugar 

John Robens 

to one barrel of c\'der 

John Keith acompt 

to carten sadletrees to Boston 

Eben Craggan acompt 

to twenty pounds makrale 

Otcs prat acompt 

to half hog head of lime 

Iiczekiah Cots acompt 

to one Boccher nife 

to one ox 

Otes prat acomnt 

to making a nife 

to one gallon melases 

William Bates acompt 

to two da\- mnen in your meadow 

Elias Joy 

eight pounds pork 

Jacob Cutler 

to nine pounds veal 

to one shotc 

to one cord wood 



£ s, D. 
0- 0-8 

0- 0-6 
0- 8-0 



2-0 
1-6 
1-0 
6-0 
1-0 
0-9 
2-0 
1-6 
0- 9-0 
0- 1-0 
0- 1-0 
0- 3-0 

0- 4-6 

0- 3-0 

0- 6-0 

0-18-0 
0- 2-3 
0-14-0 

0- 1-6 

0-12-0 

0- 2-6 
0- 2-0 
0- 3-0 

0- 9-0 

0- 6-0 

0- 4-9 

0- Q-0 

0- 1-0 
0- 9-0 

0- 1-0 
0- 4-0 

0-12-0 

0- 6-0 

0- 3-0 

1- 4-0 
0- 7-0 



THE WALLUM POND ESTATES 79 

Thomas J. O'Neil. 

The first person known to have come to \\'alUim Pond to Hve 
in order to regain health, was Thomas J. O'Neil. He had lost a 
l)rother from tul)ercnlosis and for some time had heen trouhled 
with a cough, fever, night sweats, and weakness. 

On the advice of Dr. Edw. V. Granger he camped out with 
the latter in the summer of 18^'3 near the north end of the Pond. 
In the spring of 1894, he ])uilt a small cal)in on the site of his 
present camp near Wallum Lake Station. Mr. O'Neil gained 
over 200 pounds in weight after coming here and has enjoyed 
robust health for many years. 

Sanatorium Developments 1901-1922 

March. 7. 1901 Committee of tlie General Assembly on the subject of a 
State Sanatorium was created. The members of the committee 
were : C. Alvin Potter, Edwin A. Perrin, Harry C. Curtis, Theo- 
dore S. Hughes, Frank T. Easton. 

March 28, 1902 A commission on State Sanatorium for Consumptives 
created and empowered to secure an option on a site and to secure 
plans and specifications and estimates of expense of buildings. The 
personnel of this commission was the same as that of the committee 
of the General Assembly, appointed the previous year. 

November 5, 1902 A public competition among architects adverti.sed for, 
to secure plans. 

November 29. 1902 Site for Sanatorium selected at Wallum Pond on 
land of Sylvester Angell. 

December S, 1902 Thornton & Thornton of Providence awarded first 
prize of $500.00 for best set of plans. 

May 18, 1903 Contracts for general construction of the State Sana- 
torium awarded to Lewis J. Pierce. 

1905 Act creating a Board of Trustees, passed by the General Assembly. 
Noz'eiiiber 1. 1905 Sanatorium completed at a cost of about $150,000, 

exclusive of furnishings, and opened for the reception of patients. 
Gov. Utter and Dr. Vincent Y. Bowditch spoke at the opening 
exercises. 
November 6, 1905 First patient admitted. 

1906 Water tower erected. 

1907 Covered verandas on East and West wards built. Superintendent's 
cottage erected. 

1908 The publication of the Walliiiu Lake BuUctiu begun. An officers' 
dining room, a new boiler house, aJid a new laundry building 
erected. 

1909 Intercommunicating telephones installed. Steel lockers purchased. 
Fire escapes on administration and service buildings erected. 



80 TRUSTEES OF THE STATE SANATORIUM 

1910 Resolution passed by General Assembly requesting the Trustees of 
the State Sanatorium to investigate as to the need of hospitals for 
the treatment of advanced cases of tuberculosis, and to report 
thereon. 

One mile of macadam road constructed from Wallum Lake Station 
southward. Macadamizing of entrance driveway. 

Wll Hen houses built. Moving picture projector installed. Loam carted 
to lawns from cranberry bog. Commission on hospitals for 
advanced cases reported in favor of such a hospital. 

1912 West service building constructed. 

1913 New hen houses built. 

1914 Terrazzo on the toilet and examination rooms of the Sanatorium 
wards. Weights and pulleys on ward building windows. 

1915 Children's ward completed November 15th. General Assembly 
authorized the erection of a hospital on the Sanatorium grounds. 

1916 Artificial refrigerating plant installed. 

Hospital designed by Walter F. Fontaine in conjunction with the 
Superintendent. The Hospital contract let by the Board of Con- 
trol and Supply to Whitehead Co. of Worcester, Mass. 

1917 Hospital building completed November 1st at a cost of $150,000.00, 
including furnishings. Patients' workshop erected. 

191S Conversion of old Chapel on fourth floor of administration build- 
ing into nurses' rooms. Ambulance. New equipment in bakeshop 
and kitchen. New pig house. 

1919 Construction of kitchen and serving room annexes. Tile floor in 
kitchen. New laundry equipment. X-ray plant. 

1920 Addition to dining room. New chapel. Greenhouse completed. 
Hospital store started. Addition to poultry plant. 

1921 Barn moved and converted into employees building. Garage, wagon 
shed, and new horse barn erected. 

1922 New cottage for married employees. 

TRUSTEES OF THE STATE SANATORIUM 

Years of Service. 

Rowland G. Hazard 1905-1914 

J. Truman Burdick 1905-1908 

Henry E. Nugent 1905-1907 

J. Fred Gibson 1905-1906 

William H. Peters, M.D 1905-1907 

John C. Pegram 1907-1908 

Frederick P. Gorham 1908- 

Albert H. Sayles 1908-1922 

Henry C. Cooke, M.D 1908-1908 

William P. Buffum 1909- 

William C. Munroe, M.D 1909-1913 

Thomas J. Smith, M.D 1913- 

Frank N. Phillips 1915- 

Austin T. Levy 1922- 



Index 



Abbott, Daniel 63 64 
Aldrich, Asahel 14, 60, 67 
Daniel 59 
Jonathan 57 
John 64 

Israel 14, 52, 57, 60, 62 
Seth 59 
Alger, Asakel 43 
John 28 
Joshua 55 
Preserved 54, 55 
AUam 10, 24 
Allom 10 
Allum 10, 13 
Allumps 10, 74 
Angell, Alfred 57. 52 

Brown _55, 56, S7 , 62. 65 

Enoch 55 

Esten 43, 45 

George R. 62 

Luther 56 

Olney 56, 57 

Randall 28, iZ. 44, 45, 55, 56 

Sabin 37 

Smith 62 

Susan 68 

Sylvester ii. ?i7 , 40, 53, 55. 

63 
Whipple 43 
William R. 48 
Arnold. Chas. 58 
Fred 58 
" John 56 

blncy 2,7 
" Stephen 32 
Badluck Pond 9. 21 
Badger Mountain 48 
Baker, Arnold 55 
Bailev. Lillian 54 
Ballard, Jeremiah 27. 29 
Batchelder, Augusta 61 
Barrett, Daniel 65, 69 
Daniel. Jr. 65 
Bear Corner 22 

Swamp 14. 57. 58 
Bellows. Horatio 61 
Benson, Aaron 58 
" Joseph 64 
" Mountain 64 
Binning, John 22. 23, 56 

" Sarah 56 
Black James 18, 19 



Blackstone Canal ii 

Blake, Grace 54 

Boiling Spring 48 

Boston Men ZZ, 65 

Bott, James 67 

Bowdish, Joseph 34, i7, 52. 58 

Bowen, Erner 61 

Wm. E. 62 
Brass Ball 69 
Brick Yard 39 
Bronsdon 22, 24 
Brown, Abbee 58 

Jeremiah 28 
Jonah 9, 58 
Obadiah 57 
Buck Hill W^oods 47 
Burlingame, James 56 
Rossel 42 
Burying Ground 30, 55, 56. 60 
Buxton. Allen 58, 59 66 

Amasa ?)7 

Daniel 14. 58, 59. 60 

David 59 

Otis 13. 59, 66 

Rhoda 59 

Ruth 59 

Salome 58. 59. 68 

William 57 
Cabot. Wm. B. 11. 13 
Carr, Catherine Z2) 
Chase. Ambrose 43 
" Buffum 56 
" Joseph 43. 59 
Chamberlain, Simon 68 
Church, William 22, 69 
Civil War 2>7 
Clark. William 41 
Clear River 13, 31 
Clear Reservoir Co. 50 
Coffee House 67. 68 
Collins. Stephen 39 
Cooke. Joseph 67 
Coon Cave 49 
Cotton Mill 1st ?>?, 
Cotton Mill 2nd 34 
Counterfeiters 47 
Cranberry Bog 31. ?>Z 
Cure Early Times 41 
Darling. Hannah 36 

Levi 34. ?^7. 39 

Seth 30. ?,7 
Daw. Wellingtrn 27. 66 



INDEX 



Deed First 24 
Dexter, Stephen 44 
Dockery, James 51, 52 
Dorr War 58 

Douglas, Wm., Dr. 8, 9, 22. 22, 
Dudley, Joseph 19 
Paul 22 
Reuben 49, 50 
Dugout Boat i7 
Dunn, Samuel 67 
Dyer, William 61 
Eddy, Lippitt 14 
Jacob 28 
Joseph 28 
" Levi, Dr. 32, 42, 59 
" Place, The 14 
Eldridge, Caleb 38 
Eliot's Bible 12 
Eliot, John 18, 19 
Esten, Dutee 43 

•' Edwin 17, 18, 22 
Estes, Abijah 65, 67 
Farms West 63 
Field, Chad 30 
Friery, John il 

" ' Patrick 55 
Gaucher, W. E. 62 
Gibbs, Robert 27 
Goat Rock 48, 62 
Gold 62 

Gookin, Daniel 18 
Gore 67 

Granger, Dr. E. V. 61 
Gravel Ridge 14 
Green Dragon 22 
Green, Benjamin 59, 60, 62 
" Jeremiah 23, 56 
" Thomas 2>T . 39 
'• William 31, 32, 2,7, 56 
Guild, Abraham 67 
Harcut, Richard 26 
Harris, Jonathan 28 
Hatch, Estes 63 

Nathaniel 64 
Hayward. Seth ?tO 
Healey, Sarah 61 
Hedgehog Corner 22 
Hemlock Brook 58 
" Forest 57 
Herendeen, Simeon 17 

Thomas 28, 29 
Highway 28, 40, 43 
Holman, Clara 61 
Ho])kins, Hozicl 28 

William 24, 25 



Horton, Benj. 37 

" Jerome 2,7 
Howard, Silas 42 

William 42 
Howland, Andrew 27 
James 28 

John 28, 29, 50, 52, 56 
John, Jr. 29 
Joseph 28 
Nancy 54 
" Thomas 28 
" Thomas 66 
Hoyle, Anna 69 
Hubbard 8 
Hughes 61 
Humes, Alpheus 59 
Hunt, Arnold 42, 47 
" Daniel 29, 56, 58 

Dennis 42 
•' John 9, 23, 56, 57 
Ice Co., Crystal 63 
" " Prov. 62 
•• " Wallum 62 
Ide, Monroe 68 
Indians 

Arrows 14 
Cornfields 13, 17 
Corngrinding Stone 16 
Deeds 20, 21 
Fort 14 
Graves 14 

Medicine Woman 21 
Relics 17 
Rocks 17, 18 
Traditions 13, 14, 16, 17 
Wigwam Poles 17 
Inman, Oliver 61 

" William 61 
Jacobs, Barton 64 
Serrail 64 
James, Albert 34 
Jefferson, Sarah 61 
Jenne, Abigail 30 
Dorcas 31 
Jacob 31 
Seth 29, 30 
Timoth}' 29, 30 
lennison, Timothv 65 

William 59, 65 
Tohnson, Henrv 43 
]ov, Elias 64 ' 
" William 64 
Kaufman, J. F. 63 
Key to Map 15 
Kimball, Daniel 35, 38, 51, 52 



INDEX 



HI 



Kimball, Eliza 35 

Howland 50 
John 29 
Nehemiah 50 
Serena 35, 51 

King, Clarence 62 
Emily 54 
Hannah 31 
James 31 
Keziah 31 
" Place, The 28, 31 

Kinnicutt 12 

Knowlton, Elisha 25 

Lapham, Benedict 35 
Enos il, 35 
Jethro 29 
Nicholas 25 

Earned, Ellen T. 8 

Lathrop, Jacob 30 

Leavet, John 53 

Leesom Brook 48 

Lindley, George ii 

Littleworth Swamp 25 

Logee, Dutee 52 

Maps 14, 12. 74 

Marcy, Jonathan 17 

Marsh, George 36 

Martin, John 66 

Mason, Abraham 65, 78 
Levi 65 

Mathewson, Henry 53 

Menzies, William 58 

Mill, Grist 40 

Mill, lower 40 

Milliard, Sabin 52 

Minerals 62 

Mohegan 7 

Moonshine 52 

Mormons 60 

Moss Pond 18 

Munyon 64 

Murder 68 

Narragansetts 8, 21, 24 

Nipmuck Brook 8 
River 19 

Nipmucks, Southern 19 

Olney, Joseph 67 

Oneil's Camp 27, 50 

Oneil, Thomas J. 51. 79 

Panther, The Douglas 38 

Paint 12 

Paint Rocks 12, 13 

Parker, Lovell 34. 52. 57, 58 

Pascoag 8 

Pascoag Fishing Club 51, 52 



Passagcogon 11 
Pawtuckets 7 
Pease, Patty 18, 21, 22 
Peat Bog 34 
Pepperell, Wm., Gov. 2i 
Peters, Israel 42 
Philip, King 8 
Phillips, Azariah il 
Bani ii 
Jeremiah ii 
David ii 
Robert ii 
Harley ii 
Ostrander 2>i 
Paige, Susan 54 
Paine, Ara 41 
Ellen 54 
Mary 54 
Moab 41 
Nancy 54 
Prudence 41 
Pond, Aldrich 67 
" Angell 48 
" Badluck 9, 21 
Chamberlain 68 
Moss 18 
Round 45 
Traditions yi 
Porter. Daniel 44 
Mason 39 
Power, Joseph 27 

Nicholas 26 

2nd 26 
3rd 25. 26 
4th 26. 27 
Praying Towns 18 
Proprietors R. I. 24 
Prince, William 39 
Providence Ice Co. 39 
Quarries 52 
Quincy, John 22 
Quinebaug 8 
Railroad 51 
Rawson, Richard 66 
Rattlesnake Ledge 49, 50 
Red House 52 
Reed. John 65 
Religious Service 60 
Revolution, The 29 
Rich, John 57 
Richardson. Melvina 61 
Rider. Sidney S. 11 
Rilev. Tames Zl , 55 

" " John 51, 52, 55 
Ritchie. Alexander 17, 57 



IV 



INDEX 



Ritchie, Mary 57 
Robbins, Afx-l 35, 59 
Benjamin 57 
Gilbert 35 
John 59 
Roberts, Michael 57 
Thomas 26 
Robertson, Katherine 58 
Ross, Maria L. 54 

" Scth i7, 42 
Round Pond 45 
Ruttenber 11 
Salisbury, Dutee 59, 61 

Mowry i7 
Sanatorium Development 79 
Sanborn, Morton C. 39 
Sanger, Calvin 67 
Savage, Abijah 2Z, 24 
Sawmill 27, 30, 40, 58, 60. 65, 67 
Sayles, Albert L. 51 
Arnold 47 
'• Fred L. 62 
School 53, 61 

District 53 
Teachers 54, 61 
Scott, James 42 
Seagraves, Joseph 61 
Seamans, Amasa 42 
Settlers, Early 27 
Shea, Maggie 54 
Sherman, Zadoc 47 
Sherwof)d, David 63 
Shoemaking 58 
Singleton, J. E. 14, 62 

I. H. 14, 16, 27, 52, 56 
Slater, Ruth 68 

Samuel 67 
Smith, Benjamin 26 
Martin H. S2 
" Richard W. 62 
Snake Den 53 
Spraguc Heirs 69 
Stage, Southbridge 59 
Starr, Ebcnezcr 65 

T>cmucl 64, 65 
Nina 68 
Stockwell Brothers 69 
Stone, Arnold 62 
" Amos 55 

Ezra 28, 29. 54. 55. 60 
F!zra 2nd ?i7 
George 54 
Tames 29, 43 
"Nathan 38 
Stnughton. Wm. 19 



Summer Camps 61 
Sweet, Benjamin 32 

Philip 34 
Taft, Alonzo 58 

" Sweetland 65, 67 
Tallman 34, 60 
Thaver, E. 54 

" VV. I. G. 66 
Thornton, Howard 61 
Tilley, John 67 
Tinkham, William 51 
Tobacco 56 
Tollgate 69 
Trask, William 45, 49 
Trumbull, J. H. 10 
Trustees 80 
Twist, Asa 45 
Tyler. Andrew 22, 59 
Frances 60 
Joseph 60 
Lucy 60 
•• Marv 23 
" Miriam 23, 59 
" Peter 59 
" William 22. 24, 60 
Vickers. Abigail 59 

Erastus 59, 60 
" James M. i7 
Vinton 68 
Wabbaquasset 8 
Wadkins, Judson 2>7 
Wahmunsqueeg 8 
Wakefield, Daniel 66 
Harvey 60 
Ira 65 
Mrs. Ira 67 
" Sarah 54 

Walamp 9 
Walker, Pelcg ii 
Wall, William 67 
Walla 12 

Walling. Dexter 58 
George 58 
Sarah 61 
Wallomp 9 

Wallum, meaning of 13 
Walomachin 11. 18. 19 
Walowononck 11 
Walumpaw 1 1 
Wara 12 
Ward. Eugene 44 
" Hiram 44 
William 44 
Washington. George 70 
Wells. Alfred 32. 43 



INDEX 



Weston, Francis 26 
Whcelock, Henry 64 
Whipple, Enoch 28 

John 27 
White, Adam 40 
" Emory 2)7 
" Samuel 31, 41, 60 
Whittemore, Benjamin 22 
W'iiiting, Francis 38 

Horace 39 

Orrin 48 
Whitman, Elijah 64 

Elijah 2nd 64 

Sarah 64 



Wilkinson, David 33 

Joseph 24 
Williams, Roger H, 24 
Wolf Hunt 28 
Woloman 12 
Wood, Maria 55 
Worslev, Joseph 64 
Willie 12 " 
Wunne 12 
Wunnetu 12 
Young, Jason 69 



\\ 



